Conor McGregor has spent most of his UFC career as a firm favourite with bookmakers and fight fans alike, but he was recently relegated to a figure of ridicule on social media, after his stoppage loss to Dustin Poirier in January. Even some of the Crumlin crusher’s die-hard fans seem to think his time is up.
Regardless, those indulging in memes and mockery from the safety of a keyboard appear to have quickly forgotten just how much he has done – in particular, giving Ireland an unprecedented presence in a booming sports entertainment franchise. Here we look at how the Dublin born battler has emulated the ‘textbook’ moves of distinct styles, and used that as a key to success.
Straight, heavy punches are a key part of popular martial arts, and have been a cornerstone of past successes experienced by Conor McGregor (not pictured).
Shotokan Karate and San Shou (Sanda)
A clash of fighting styles can drastically even the odds against an underdog, which is why McGregor’s versatility has been so important down the years. While Karate and Sanda are very different at a more complex and advanced level, both have a base focus on heavy, yet rapid strikes.
This makes it easy for a versatile striker such as McGregor to switch between the two, even if he is not explicitly a karateka or Sanda practitioner. In every popular sport around the world – not just UFC – it can be seen that the latest sportsbook wagering prices for major events invariably favour those that adapt and innovate for a winning edge. In turn, where the UFC alone is concerned, McGregor’s ability to switch up made him one of the franchise’s most reliable, watchable and marketable athletes in the second half of the 2010s.
The single punch – which is more commonly associated by popular culture with Karate – is a relative rarity from McGregor. As such, punching combos from McGregor are his primary route to victory in the endgame, with the accuracy and speed he has demonstrated certainly reminiscent of ‘textbook’ Sanda.
‘Notorious’ has recorded just three wins by way of a single, Karate-reminiscent punch to date, with his 13-second knockout of Jose Aldo (above) being the most recent.
Tae Kwon Do
The most well-known MMA strike by a Tae Kwon Do practitioner was when Anthony Pettis bounced off of the cage in WEC with an improvised shot to win in the fifth round against Benson Henderson. McGregor’s victory over Donald Cerrone in January 2020 (via head kick and punches) showed similar levels of innovation and improvisation, despite being less spectacular to the casual observer.
It must be noted that McGregor’s relationship with Tae Kwon Do is based more on defence, and his determination to fight against adversity, with the levels of mobility he showed at his peak enabling him to counter the heavier blows from Korea’s greatest export. Compared to kickboxing or other strike-focal arts, this is a flashier discipline, with the focus of the kicks not being to wear an opponent down, but instead to end the fight with one blow. Up until his loss to Poirer, McGregor had yet to be caught out by a punch – or punches – to a losing end, and he has still never fallen to a kick.
As of February 2021, McGregor’s win over Cerrone remains his last triumph in the octagon.
Muay Thai
Being in close quarters with a Muay Thai specialist is something every UFC fighter fears, but McGregor’s only prior defeats have come at the hands of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu experts or traditional wrestlers. Much of this is down to McGregor ensuring that he could enact elements of Muay Thai before his opponents did.
Muay Thai incorporates a strong striking game, as practitioners strike with their fists, elbows, knees, and shins in equal measure. As a striking specialist, Conor McGregor’s ability to land debilitating kicks is a core part of his early game strategy, and has contributed to a good number of his knockouts.
That said, his last ‘true’ Muay Thai-themed knockout came way back in February 2012, during his days fighting under the Cage Warriors brand, when he dispatched Steve O’Keefe to go 10-2.