Georges St-Pierre and Demetrious Johnson took a close look at Conor McGregor’s star power and fighting style as the former two-division UFC champion prepares for his long-awaited return at UFC 329 on July 11.
Speaking on an episode of The GSP Podcast, St-Pierre pointed to emotion and charisma as central to McGregor’s massive popularity. “I think it’s because fights are promoted by emotion,” St-Pierre said, later adding, “That’s why I believe, for example, Conor McGregor was very skilled, but what makes him the most popular fighter of all time is his talking, his ability.”
Johnson, however, emphasized what McGregor does inside the cage. “And for me, it was his skill set,” Johnson said. “I’ll never forget watching him fight Diego Brandao, the way he was able to move and hit him. The way he would throw his cross, southpaw, his push kicks. Even when he fought-I didn’t care, the shit talking was the cherry on top for me. It attracts the masses, but for me what attracted me to Conor was his skill set.”
McGregor is scheduled to end a five-year hiatus when he faces Max Holloway in a rematch at UFC 329. His last two outings against Dustin Poirier ended in defeats, including a broken leg for McGregor.
St-Pierre summed up McGregor’s blend of personality and precision: “Conor was the best because he was very charismatic. He used to create an emotion out of it… But behind that he was able to back it up because he was like a sniper with that left hand. Boom.”
