Conor McGregor is seen as arguably the greatest trash talker in the history of MMA. McGregor has been known to get into his opponent's heads before the time they even hit the octagon, helping put him in the pantheons of trash-talking greats like Muhammad Ali and others.
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While his MMA career has recently suffered from back-to-back losses to Dustin Poirer, his trash talk is eternal and will always be seen as a very important part of his legacy as an entertainer. As throughout his UFC run from 2013 to 2021, he's provided many quotes from funny to threatening, that fans across the globe will never forget.
10 "We're not here to take part, we're here to take over."
This quote from Conor McGregor was fresh off his win over Diego Brandao in his hometown of Dublin. The win also came after all three of McGregor's teammates won their bouts that evening. McGregor in the post-fight interview made a statement about the fighting Irish that would go on to ring true for the rest of his UFC career, a statement that drew the applause of every person in Ireland that night in 2014.
"It was a clean sweep for the Irish. I said it last year, we're not here to take part, we're here to take over."
9 "This man will pay with his life tomorrow night."
The lead-up to UFC 264 and the McGregor/Poirier 3 trilogy featured a more intense McGregor than usual. The build-up was extremely chaotic and contentious, mainly centered around Poirier's accusation that McGregor backed out of donating to the Good Fight Foundation in the leadup to their second bout.
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The weigh-ins for their third fight saw more threats by McGregor, during his interview with Joe Rogan.
"This man is going to learn that when you disrespect a person's kindness and take it as a weakness, you must pay. Tomorrow night, I'm gonna make this man pay with his life — and I mean it. You're dead in that octagon tomorrow night."
8 "He can't even read!"
The McGregor/Mayweather press stop in Canada was arguably McGregor's finest moment. Going on a 10-minute long tirade while fans in the crowd ate it up the entire way, he completely decimated Mayweather and Showtime during his lengthy rant.
During the rant, he decided to take a moment to poke fun at Mayweather's attire and also his rumored illiteracy.
"You’re 40 years of age. Dress your (expletive) age. Carrying a schoolbag on stage. What you doing with a schoolbag on stage? You can’t even read!"
7 "Gods recognize Gods."
Conor McGregor was originally set to fight UFC lightweight champion Rafael Dos Anjos at UFC 196 in an attempt to become the UFC's first dual weight champion. His rise up the ranks to dethrone Jose Aldo a few months earlier was one of the most impressive things that UFC fans had ever seen, and in McGregor's eyes, it solidified that he was no mere mortal.
"“Me and Jesus are cool. I’m cool with all the gods. Gods recognise gods.”
6 "I'm always humble, in victory or defeat."
Conor McGregor's first fight with Dustin Poirier at UFC 178 was heated going in, to put it mildly. However, following McGregor knocking Poirier out in the first round, he showed loads of respect to the Louisana native.
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He then echoed a sentiment that would go on to ring true later in his career during the post-fight press conference, well mostly.
"I am cocky in prediction. I am confident in preparation. But I am always humble in victory or defeat."
5 “The only weight I give a f--- about is the weight of them checks."
It's important to remember that when Conor McGregor fought Nate Diaz at UFC 196, he was still the Featherweight Champion. He was a big featherweight but had little experience fighting up from 145 pounds, so when the call came to fight Nate Diaz who was a bigger lightweight who had fought at 170 pounds there were some questions regarding the weight disparity in the fight.
However, according to McGregor, weight was never an issue. He even wanted the fight to be at welterweight so Diaz (and himself) didn't have to cut much weight.
“The only weight I give a f--- about is the weight of them cheques, and my cheques are always super-heavyweight, so I don’t give a s---.”
4 "I would invade his favela on horseback."
Conor McGregor's trash talk against Jose Aldo was extremely aggressive, McGregor's trash talk arguably prompted a more aggressive Jose Aldo in their fight at UFC 194, which inevitably did lead to Aldo's downfall.
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During a pre-fight press conference for the world tour for Aldo vs. McGregor, McGregor drew the ire of Brazilian fans for his comment about what he'd do to Aldo if it weren't modern times.
“I own this town, I own Rio de Janeiro, so for him to say that he is the king and I am the joker, if this was a different time, I would invade his favela on horseback, and would kill anyone who wasn’t fit to work. But we’re in a new time, so I’ll whoop his ass instead.”
3 "Who the f--- is that guy?"
Conor McGregor prior to UFC 205 was seen as the greatest trash-talker within the UFC, across all weight classes. Despite this, Jeremy Stephens decided to challenge "The Notorious" during a pre-fight presser for the event, proclaiming that not McGregor, but he was the "hardest hitting 145-pounder".
McGregor put a swift end to that conversation, by simply not acknowledging that Stephens had a name.
"They're not gonna- who the f--- is that guy? Who the f--- is that?
2 "Break out the red panties."
Come fall 2015, Conor McGregor had firmly cemented himself as one of the premier draws across all of the combat sports. McGregor had just won the UFC's interim Featherweight Championship by defeating Chad Mendes that July, that bout which Mendes took on short notice in return for a large payday mainly due to McGregor's popularity.
In a back and forth with Rafael Dos Anjos about a potential fight between the two, McGregor made reference to how fighting him leads to life-changing money.
"I can make you rich. I change your bum life. You fight me, it's a celebration. When you sign to fight me, it's a celebration. You ring back home, you ring your wife. 'Baby, we've done it. We're rich, baby. Conor McGregor made us rich. Break out the red panties.'"
1 "I'd like to apologize... to absolutely nobody!"
On the night of UFC 205, he was arguably the greatest fighter on the planet. Already having been the UFC Featherweight Champion, he would become the first-ever dual-weight UFC champion after defeating Eddie Alvarez via knockout to become the lightweight champ. The build-up had been contentious with McGregor and the UFC. He notably had issues with the promotion in 2016, having been pulled from UFC and having to go through lengthy negotiations to get the Alvarez fight.
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Following the victory over Alvarez, in his post-fight promo, McGregor lamented about his issues with the company, and he wouldn't have changed a thing.
I’ve spent a lot of time, Joe, slaying everybody in the company. Backstage, I’m starting fights with everybody. I’ve ridiculed everyone on the roster."
“I just want to say from the bottom of my heart, I’d like to take this chance to apologize…to absolutely nobody. The double champ does what the f-- he wants!”
