Netflix’s wild new Conor McGregor documentary series McGregor Forever revealed previously unknown details about the UFC icon. The Netflix series featured several new interviews and unreleased behind-the-scenes footage that dive into McGregor’s personal life, training regimens, and formidable mindset that made him a champion. Since rising to fame in 2013, McGregor has become the most prominent face of the UFC franchise while maintaining an impressive win-loss record of 22-6. He is considered one of the most talented and versatile MMA fighters of all time.
McGregor Forever provided unprecedented access into the inner world of the vicious fighter, revealing his commitments to family, community, and endless self-improvement. McGregor, who was once a plumber’s apprentice in his hometown of Dublin, Ireland, has become one of the wealthiest athletes in the world. He held the title of both the undisputed UFC lightweight and featherweight champions of the world between 2015 and 2017 (via ESPN). Unfortunately, McGregor suffered a brutal leg injury in his most recent fight in 2021 against Dustin Poirier, making his future return to the UFC uncertain. So here are the ten wildest reveals from the Netflix series McGregor Forever.
10 Conor McGregor Got Emotional After Losing Khabib Nurmagomedov Fight
McGregor Forever showed previously-unseen footage of Conor’s raw reaction to his loss to Khabib Nurmagomedov, one of the best UFC fighters ever. The scene offered a rare glimpse at McGregor’s emotional side that momentarily breaks through his seemingly invincible persona. There was a great deal of bad blood between the two fighters before they faced off in the octagon, making the loss very personal and heartbreaking for McGregor. It was the last opportunity that McGregor would have to defeat Khabib, who retired in 2021 with a perfect 29-0 record. McGregor promised after the UFC loss that he would return.
9 Conor McGregor Started Fighting As A Kid To Combat His Anxiety
McGregor revealed in McGregor Forever that he turned to combat sports to learn how to manage his emotions. McGregor admitted that he often felt nervous and self-doubt as a child. He started to analyze his deepest emotions at a young age and was uncomfortable with some of his thoughts and feelings. Once McGregor trained more regularly, he became very comfortable with his nerves. McGregor sought out situations that made him uncomfortable and saw them as a challenge to get better. McGregor faced his anxiety through training which made him fearless in the UFC.
8 McGregor Forever Proves McGregor Doesn’t Fight For The Money
Despite being one of the world’s highest-earning athletes, McGregor proved in the documentary he was never in it for money. McGregor Forever demonstrated the fighter’s commitment to be the best no matter what obstacles are thrown at him. McGregor possessed a burning drive to compete and was unafraid of any opponent. When the UFC wasn’t booking him for any fights even after his 2020 win over Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone, McGregor tweeted at his next opponent asking if he wanted to fight for charity. McGregor’s wealth remains a symbol of his elite caliber in his sport and not a token of materialistic greed.
7 Conor McGregor Fought Khabib Nurmagomedov With A Broken Toe
In McGregor Forever episode 1, unseen footage revealed how McGregor broke his toe before his infamous fight with Khabib Nurmagomedov. During a standard training match with a fellow fighter, McGregor was forced to tap out after feeling intense pain in his left foot. Doctors quickly examined McGregor and determined that his left pinky toe was likely dislocated. They attempted to relocate McGregor’s toe on the spot. After a few tries, they successfully put his toe back in place. McGregor returned to his regular training, but the injury affected him for weeks. His toe remained broken when he fought and lost to Khabib.
6 Conor McGregor Changed His Entire Mindset Preparing For Cowboy Fight
After McGregor’s tough loss to Khabib, McGregor contemplated how to better prepare for his next fight. He took five months off training to determine a working strategy against his next opponent Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone. McGregor became more disciplined in his diet and training in preparation for the Cerrone fight. He admits in McGregor Forever he lacked day-to-day consistency with his workouts, occasionally skipping a scheduled run or eating something unhealthy. McGregor also confesses to being cocky before the Khabib fight. He referred to his boastful attitude and loudmouth antics as distractions he needed to abandon moving forward.
5 Conor McGregor’s Fiancée Reveals He Predicted How He Would Win Cowboy Fight
McGregor defeated Cerrone in UFC 246 with a brutal kick to his opponent’s head. McGregor Forever revealed McGregor’s behind-the-scenes reaction to the victory celebrating with his trainers and family. McGregor’s finacée Dee Devlin revealed that Connor predicted weeks earlier he would beat Cerrone with a kick to the head. Dee recalled McGregor saying to her, “Everyone thinks he’s gonna knock me out with a head kick. I’m gonna knock him out with a head kick.” McGregor’s revitalized training program paid off, and his victorious prediction came true.
4 McGregor Forever Shows How The Pandemic Slowed Down McGregor’s Career
McGregor Forever documented McGregor’s frustration with the UFC after his victory over Cerrone. The COVID-19 pandemic limited the number of fights the UFC could produce. Even when it resurfaced on Fight Island in Abu Dhabi, McGregor still had trouble booking a fight. McGregor continued training throughout 2020 despite no confirmation of a fight from the UFC. McGregor was shocked and insulted that the UFC would disregard him after all he had done to popularize the sport. So McGregor took matters into his own hands on Twitter. He tweeted a retirement announcement to attract the UFC’s attention. Days later, he and Dustin Poirier booked a UFC fight in Abu Dhabi.
3 Conor McGregor Didn’t Know If He’d Be Able To Fight Again After 2nd Poirier Fight
The fight between McGregor and Poirier in Abu Dhabi was the second time the opponents faced each other. McGregor ended up losing the fight after Poirier’s attacking strategy left McGregor’s right calf seriously injured. Behind-the-scenes footage in McGregor Forever revealed McGregor in immense pain following the Poirier loss. McGregor describes the leg pain as a sensation he had never felt before, asking medical staff if it could be nerve damage. In the depth of McGregor’s brutal defeat, McGregor hangs his head and whispers to Dee, “That’s that. That’s it. That was just abysmal.”
2 Conor McGregor Expanded His Combat Arsenal For 3rd Poirier Fight
In true McGregor fashion, the fighter returned to training for a rematch against Dustin Poirier only six months later. McGregor Forever revealed how McGregor expanded his skill set and developed a better fighting strategy against Poirier. McGregor also decided to return to his larger-than-life persona as UFC’s most provocative villain. He realized his friendly and respectable approach to his previous fight against Poirier gave him no advantage. Unfortunately, McGregor’s strategic changes were unsuccessful once again after he broke his ankle during the fight. Poirier was declared the winner by TKO.
1 Conor McGregor Reveals He Has No Intention Of Retiring In The Near Future
McGregor Forever began and ended with footage of McGregor in a hospital bed. McGregor was recovering from surgery on his ankle after the Poirier fight in July 2021. That fight was the last time McGregor stepped into a UFC octagon, although new footage in McGregor Forever suggests he will return to the UFC sometime in 2023. Doctors told McGregor that it would take nearly a year to recover from his injury fully. However, the voracious fighter made it clear in McGregor Forever that he has no desire to retire in the near future, although he has started pursuing other interests, such as acting. McGregor will make his acting debut in the Road House reboot.
Source: ESPN
