Conor McGregor’s brutal 13-second knockout of Jose Aldo was a year ago, so we look at the last 12-months of the UFC champ’s wild life
It has been an astonishing 12 months for UFC's biggest star, who was even issued with a professional boxing license
IT's 12 months to the day that Conor McGregor won the featherweight title at UFC 194 against Jose Aldo, and a lot has changed for 'Notorious'.
December 12th 2015 in Las Vegas, McGregor became the 145 pounds champion in 13 seconds. Two world tours and an interim title later, the Irishman finally lifted UFC gold.
A lot has happened in the life of McGregor in the last year, with some real highs and some devastating lows.
Now the undisputed star of MMA, transcending the sport with rumours of a fight with boxing legend Floyd Mayweather, appearing in the next season of Game of Thrones and using is private jet to get fried chicken, there's been no one like McGregor in the UFC before.
From history to controversy and retirement to millions, we take a look at the past year in the life of Conor McGregor.
March 5th 2016 - UFC 196: Upset
The year couldn't have got off to a worse start inside the octagon, losing his first UFC fight and for the first time in six years.
McGregor was originally meant to take on Rafael dos Anjos for the lightweight title, but the Brazilian pulled out 10 days before the event, leaving
'Notorious' without an opponent.
Not fighting was never an option for the Irishman, and rumours began to circulate about who his next opponent would be. Donald Cerrone,
Jose Aldo and Anthony Pettis were all mentioned, but Nate Diaz was selected as the option.
The build-up was electrifying, generating more interest than even for the original bout against dos Anjos, and there would be a shock inside the octagon.
This would also mark McGregor's first fight at welterweight due to the late notice given to Diaz to make weight for a lightweight contest.
The first round went well for the 28-year-old, but it was all downhill from there. Diaz submitted McGregor with a rear-naked choke and doubt surrounded the future of the featherweight champion that had stepped up 25 pounds to take the fight.
He would be back. Wouldn't he?
19th April 2016 - Thanks for the cheese
Shudders were sent through the MMA world with a single McGregor tweet.
The rematch with Diaz had been set for the UFC 200 card in July - a historical card that would be stacked from top to bottom to celebrate how far the promotion had come.
"I have decided to retire young. Thanks for the cheese. Catch ya's later." said McGregor. Surely he wouldn't bow out of MMA with a loss. Not on these terms.
The saga was started because of the Irishman's reluctance to travel to Las Vegas to participate in the media events. He was training in Iceland for the biggest fight of his life. His redemption. He had also just witnessed a fighter die in a show in Ireland. He was cage side. It's hard to overstate how much that could affect a person.
Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier were given the main event slot in his absence, until Jones failed a drug test and Miesha Tate and Amanda Nunes was bumped up to fill the void.
20th August 2016 - UFC 202: The King is back.
"The real UFC 200" is how McGregor described the rematch with Diaz at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
The rematch would again take place at 170 pounds. This raised a lot of eyebrows. Why would the featherweight champion and a man that competes at lightweight fight at welterweight again?
'Notorious' wanted the same as before. He wanted to prove that he could beat Diaz under the same settings as before. He wanted to play it back and show it was something that should have never happened. That it was just a bump in his road to greatness. And he did just that.
In a fight that will go down as one of the best to be seen, McGregor beat the American via majority decision, and all of a sudden options opened up. A trilogy fight, a shot at the lightweight title he never got or even staying at welterweight to fight the champion there.
The event broke the pay-per-view record that they had set in March, selling around 1.65 million. McGregor also broke the record for a payout to a fighter, pocketing $3 million for the fight, breaking the $2.5 million that Brock Lesnar was paid to return at UFC 200 in his win over Mark Hunt.
Related articles
12th November 2016 - UFC 205: History
For the UFC's first event in New York, they had to get the biggest name in the sport, and at the eleventh hour, they did.
Rumours had circulated that Eddie Alvarez vs Khabib Nurmagomedov would be the fight with McGregor nursing a sore foot, but what McGregor wants he gets, and this was no different.
In the main event, McGregor got his chance to become the first man to hold two UFC belts simultaneously. He was getting the shot that was taken from him in March. He was getting a shot at history. He wasn't going to be denied.
A second round knockout of Eddie Alvarez sealed the deal. A left-right-left-right and the Philadelphia native was finished. McGregor looked exceptional at lightweight and talks immediately turned to who next in line would be.
Records were also broken with this show. Over $17 million in gate revenue meant it was the biggest in Madison Square Garden history. The ceremonial weigh ins also set a record, with 15,480 people coming out to see fighters flex in their underwear. Its testament to how far McGregor has brought the sport.
It could be the last time we see McGregor inside an octagon for a while, with his partner expecting a baby in May and UFC president Dana White suggesting the 28-year-old will take 10 months off.
27th November 2016 - Stripped
Just because he isn't fighting, don't think you can keep Conor McGregor out of the headlines.
With the withdrawal of Daniel Cormier from his title fight main-event against Anthony 'Rumble' Johnson at UFC 206 in Toronto, the UFC
decided to strip McGregor of his featherweight title and make Anthony Pettis vs Max Holloway the new main event, for an interim title while
Jose Aldo was named undisputed champion.
It is perhaps the most disputed undisputed title in UFC history. The man who was knocked out in 13 seconds is named the champion. It made sense in that McGregor might never return to featherweight, but the way in which it was done felt strong handed.
He was a two weight champion for all of 15 days, but try telling McGregor he isn't still the two weight champ. Posing for pictures with a belt of each shoulder suggests he hasn't quite accepted that decision yet.
It will be interesting to see if he does ever return to what is now his old stomping ground of featherweight.
It's fair to say that it's been one of the more eventful years in the MMA world.
Outside of UFC
Being one of the most iconic fighters in the world of sport McGregor can enjoy his millions made from UFC in a lavish lifestyle that includes flash cars to living the life of Riley.
Just a few days ago the Irishman posted his latest plaything when he posted to social media his half a million silver Rolls Royce that would have anyone that has a driving license feeling a little jealous.
The fighter has become a worldwide face and it isn't just fans that want to grab a picture with one of sports top characters as celebrities ogle McGregor just as much as his adoring supporters do.
McGregor's one of many luxury and super cars nicknamed the mutant.
Ballon d'or winner Cristiano Ronaldo attended McGregor's training camp before grabbing his trainer John Kavanagh in a headlock in a drunken booze up at none other than Jennifer Lopez's birthday party, which McGregor gatecrashed, not that he wasn't wanted there as people flocked to his side to have a picture and enjoy themselves with the UFC champion.
Not bad for an ex-plumber from Ireland who has well and truly landed on his feet, its been hard work to get this far but there is not telling where the next chapter in the unpredictable's fighter's career will take him next.
Back In November news surfaced that McGregor and Dee Devlin were to become parents as the pair begin to prepare for their fist child so life in the past 12 months has not just been about fighting and winning titles.
With the baby on the way perhaps we will see the parties and flash cars in a very adventurous life calm down somewhat but the 28 year old will not be able to stay out of the spotlight for long if at all and he certainly wont be able to to stay out of the cage.
Just earlier this month McGregor took a private jet to get his hands on some 'Texas fried chicken' with some friends as they tucked in to some famous 'TFC'.
Amid the spontaneous trip to America to get some chicken the news was announced that he would be starring aboard Euron Greyjoy's ship in Game of Thrones to just send his profile through the roof if it hadn't been already.
Fans are over the moon about the huge rise of McGregor and he is certainly building himself a future for when the time comes for him to pack UFC.
Fans will be eagerly awaiting the seventh season of the world's leading TV franchise and if McGregor can impress directors and producers with his acting skills then a career in TV and film is surely going to open up.
Because of his career to date its easy to imagine the roles McGregor would be asked to play but nonetheless the UFC king is making himself a global product that every industry and market wants a piece of.
