McGregor wins unprecedented second UFC title belt
Conor McGregor, a 28 year old UFC fighter from Ireland, a man who calls himself “The King of New York,” is a generational athlete. In the world of competitive MMA, McGregor is a person who will not come around again for a long time. After his recent Nov. 12th victory against Eddie Alvarez in UFC 205 (an event that took the trophy for the most watched pay-per-view event of all time), he should undoubtedly be immortalized in the sports community. With this victory, McGregor became both the lightweight and welterweight world champion. With this, he became the first fighter in the history of the sport to hold a world title in two different weight classes at the same time. With this, he is the first to win a title in three different classes in UFC history.
To a person like myself who has grown up surrounded with sports, an accomplishment like McGregor’s seems surreal. To those who don’t necessarily realize why it is a big deal, that is fine, but there should be some sort of appreciation for this feat. This is not an advertisement, nor is it asking you to go and watch UFC fights. Simply put this in perspective: this is the first time in history that this has happened. It is something that may never be seen again, and it may never be done with the level of flare and excitement that comes with a Conor McGregor fight.
Take a fighter that many people know; Muhammad Ali. Ali was a world champion, the number one in his craft. Ali knocked out some of the best boxers in the world. Another famous fighter, Mike Tyson, was also great in his own right. In the beginning of his career, Tyson was 18 and demolishing opponents almost twice his age. He continued to fight into his thirties and received massive publicity for things such as biting the ear off of Evander Holyfeild in a boxing match in 1996. Tyson came to be known as “the baddest man alive” in his prime and is remembered as a powerful and entertaining fighter. Despite all these achievements, these two have one thing in common; they were heavyweight champions only who held one title belt. As impressive as the careers and legacy of these two remain, McGregor holds two in the welterweight and lightweight classes, and has held a belt in the featherweight class as recently as 2012.
When McGregor held the title as the featherweight world champion, he weighed in at 120 pounds. As the lightweight champion, McGregor was 130 pounds. Now, in the welterweight class that he fought in in UFC 205, he weighs 155 pounds. These may seem like simple numbers but they are far from it. Imagine being asked to gain or lose anywhere between 15 and 30 pounds in just months’ time to prepare for title defenses. The unfamiliarity with the new weight may be strange to most people, but for an athlete like McGregor, it did not slow his pursuit for a title. The intense training, eating routine, and preparation are all sort of crazy to think about, especially done in such concentrated time spans. Athletes in other professional sports struggle with training to gain weight, and have much more time to do so than a UFC fighter. McGregor seems to handle the strenuous activity with ease.
Another title in hand doubles the glory, double the fame, and doubles the risk of losing one. McGregor will be risking his position as king in the UFC world in just six short months; he is not fighting any sooner, as he is taking time off to care for his first born child. In just six months, he will have no choice but to defend his titles. Whether or not he loses, the memory of his incredible achievement will remain. After defeating Alvarez and asking immediately when being interviewed “Where is my second belt?” Conor McGregor cemented his legacy in sports history. Words like that may never be uttered again. When a Michael Jordan comes along in the NBA, it is best to appreciate them before retirement. Conor McGregor is the UFC’s Michael Jordan. The belts could go after his next fight, but his mark on the sport is permanent.