Conor McGregor at UFC 189
Conor McGregor’s rise to fame and the top of the MMA world will forever remain as one of the most fun times to be an MMA fan.
McGregor took less than two years to get to his first PPV main event, and his first title shot. McGregor was set to fight Jose Aldo for the undisputed featherweight crown at UFC 189, the PPV for International Fight Week 2015. However, weeks prior to the bout Aldo pulled out, and despite having the choice to wait for Aldo or fight someone new, McGregor didn’t blink and said he would be fighting at 189.
The replacement would soon be named as former title challenger Chad Mendes, a completely different style of fighter and a much more difficult one for a young McGregor. But it didn’t matter, it was his night.
Conor McGregor walked out to fellow countrywoman Sinéad O’Connor serenading the crowd with a live rendition of her song “Foggy Dew,” and when the first notes hit, you could feel the electricity in the air. It was truly his time and with the weight of a country on his shoulders, Conor McGregor would defeat Chad Mendes via TKO after facing some early adversity. He became interim featherweight champion in the process, and set himself up to finally face Jose Aldo in his next bout.
