Conor McGregor is undoubtedly the biggest superstar in the history of MMA. The former UFC double champion revolutionized the sport and brought in millions of new fans. However, all that wasn’t enough for him to get into the list of top 10 Greatest MMA fighters of the 21st century.
ESPN recently released the list of the top 10 men’s MMA fighters in the 21st century which caught a lot of attention. Topping the list was Jon Jones followed by Georges St-Pierre. After that, Anderson Silva, Demetrius Johnson, and Khabib Nurmagomedov followed in that ranking order. However, the list stirred quite a controversy as it didn’t include Conor McGregor.
McGregor was beaten to the list by others such as Fedor Emelianenko, Chuck Liddell, Kamaru Usman, etc. The main parameters of these rankings were not mentioned. However, the list contained some of the most skillful MMA fighters in the last two decades.
ESPN has released a list of the Top 10 men’s MMA fighters of the 21st century:
1. Jon Jones
2. Georges St-Pierre
3. Anderson Silva
4. Demetrious Johnson
5. Khabib Nurmagomedov
6. Fedor Emelianenko
7. Randy Couture
8. Chuck Liddell
9. BJ Penn
10. Kamaru Usman pic.twitter.com/GriMaUAzC0— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) July 22, 2024
While McGregor might lose to others due to his resume and fighting record, his influence in MMA is undeniable. The fighter is the biggest draw in the world of MMA and has the largest fan base. Irrespective of inactivity in the last three years, McGregor still has the same superstar status. However, he may not be as good a fighter as those on the list.
Fight fans react to Conor McGregor not making it into the ESPN Top 10 Men’s MMA Fighters of the 21st Century
Conor McGregor’s rise to stardom was astronomical. With his unique fighting skills, karate stance, and trash-talking abilities, McGregor managed to get the crowd behind him. The ‘Notorious’ also became the first ever UFC double champion by beating Eddie Alvarez at UFC 205.
Conor McGregor first UFC double champion (via X)However, the fighter had a downfall and won once in the last seven years. But according to fans, the fighter still deserves a spot in the top 10. Here are some of the reactions:
Im not the biggest McGregor fan but he needs to be in the list for being the first double champ and for his impact on the sport. Also, DC deserves to be on this list too, he never tested positive unlike some of these guys on this list and he was still able to become double champ
— The Combat Sports Matrixer (@TheCSMatrixer) July 22, 2024
Where’s Conor????
— NOSE BLEEDERS (@NoseBleedersMMA) July 22, 2024
It’s actually not a terrible list. I do wonder if maybe they should have added McGregor though, simply for the impact he’s had on the sport. He essentially helped build it by bringing an entirely new generation of fans to the UFC.
— Da Cake (@SlipsterOG) July 22, 2024
I’d put Connor and DC in over Kamaru for sure. Hard to argue with the rest of this list.
— Frederich (@FrederichGL) July 22, 2024
As expected the list attracted a variety of opinions with fans arguing over the position of many fighters. Many thought that some too fighters including Conor McGregor should have been on that list. Nevertheless, it would be interesting to see McGregor’s reaction to the list, if the fighter decided to take a look at it.
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