Five things we learned from Conor McGregor's beer and cigar-fuelled rant

Conor McGregor hasn't fought since suffering a defeat to Dustin Poirier in 2021, but called out several UFC fighters during a recent live stream

UFC star Conor McGregor delivered a stunning performance in a recent live stream which caught the attention of fans, simply because it could be one of his most off-the-rails showing yet.

The former two-division champion hasn't fought since suffering a brutal injury, breaking his leg in the trilogy showdown with bitter rival Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in 2021. McGregor was set to fight Michael Chandler in June at UFC 303, but was forced to pull out of the contest due to an injury, with his return to the cage now being put back until the new year.

His last official win in the UFC cage came in 2020, when he knocked out Donald Cerrone at UFC 246 in Las Vegas. The Irishman does have a successful career outside of MMA. The 36-year-old is part owner of combat sports organisation, Bare Knuckle Boxing, and has also enjoyed a positive venture into the alcohol business in the form of his Forged Irish Stout and Black Forge Inn in his hometown of Dublin. He has also launched a career in Hollywood after appearing alongside Jake Gyllenhaal in 2022 in a remake of the 1989 movie Road House.

The Irishman is well-known for his wild and chaotic personality, and this was on show in a recent live stream, where he enjoyed a can or two of his own stout brand, puffing on cigars and taking boxing stances. He appeared in a stream sponsored by crypto casino Duelbits, and it's fair to say that he had a lot to say for himself. Here, Mirror Fighting takes a look at the five things we learned from his latest beer and cigar-fuelled rant...

1. Talks with Terence Crawford over two-fight deal

During the live stream, McGregor claimed boxing star Terence Crawford rejected the chance to fight him in two separate fights. Talks didn't work out after 'Bud' had no interest in fighting in MMA.

“Crawford is very slick, he also has a wrestling background pedigree," McGregor said. "You know they’re always talking to me about bouts. I’ve already boxed a boxer, and the best boxer in MMA is me. You know what I mean? I generate the most [power]. We were talking back and forth about a two-fight deal. He rings up Crawford in front of me the day after the fights. I get on the phone and say ‘Crawford, they’re here talking about you and me [fighting]. Two-fight deal, MMA first, boxing second.

"I know you have an extensive wrestling background, and balls the size of a Bengal tiger. They’re asking for a fight, it’ll be hundreds of millions on the line. What’s up?', I said and then he goes, ‘I don’t fancy taking a kick off Conor McGregor’, that’s what he said. You have to respect that."

Crawford has been seen in the past showing off his wrestling skills against sparring partners, having had a background in the sport. It would give him a punchers chance over any boxer who wished to cross over to MMA. That said, it appears it's not something he's considering in the near future.

2. Jake Paul vs Mike Tyson

McGregor was quick to rip into YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul during the live stream appearance. The Irishman claimed ‘nobody cared’ about the event, and questioned how the showdown was taking at such a big stadium. When asked about the boxing showdown, which is scheduled to take place in November, McGregor paid tribute to Tyson, taking some of his brand of marijuana on camera.

“Mike Tyson, this is your stock,” he said after promoting the marijuana. “I don’t give a b*****s. They’re wearing 14oz gloves and it’s two minute rounds. Who gives a b******s? I hope Mike rattles the little dope, no one gives a f*** about him. How is that even in the f***ing Dallas stadium?”

His comments on the bout went viral and Paul was quick to take full advantage of it, quickly releasing his own parody video. The clip was viewed over 2 million times across X and Instagram, and showed him dressed in a black shirt like McGregor. The American captioned the post: “Conor McGregor's crash out needs to be studied.” In the video, Paul can be seen mocking the Irishman's methods and movements, while repeating his lines in an Irish accent.

'The Problem Child' ended the video by jokingly pretending he was McGregor declaring that he is ‘still the f***ing king of this s***,’ before having to ask a teammate again to make sure in a quieter tone. He then followed that up with a further post. Paul quoted his original post by writing: “And for the record I would destroy this guy in the ring or in the cage. Keep begging for your date hahaha.”

3. His ambitions of becoming a three-division champion

While McGregor still seems interested in settling his business in the cage with Chandler next, the Irishman is also open to other opponents, like UFC welterweight champion Belal Muhammad. “He’s woeful. I want to fight him," McGregor said. "OK, Chandler is next. Belal-McGregor, UFC welterweight world title fight on the line. I have multiple knockouts at 170. I’m a force to be reckoned with at 170. I do damage at 170. Check the stats. One hundred percent accuracy, this man hasn’t even got a knockdown in UFC history. Not one knockdown! It’s embarrassing, to be honest. Kind of slow-rolling a person because you just don’t give a b******s. They’re all bums.”

Muhammad is on an 11-fight unbeaten streak and recently won the welterweight title with a dominant performance over Leon Edwards at UFC 304 in Manchester. Muhammad himself responded to the Irishman's call-out on Instagram, saying: "“Conor, how many times are we going to do this?” Muhammad said. “You start calling my name out, I clap back, then you go missing again. Let’s stop this game, bro. We know you’re not coming back to fight us. We know you need help. You haven’t won a fight since 2020. The last Muslim fighter you sent location, he sent you to the hospital. So stop doing this to yourself. You don’t want this to happen again. I’d rather help you than fight you, bro. But if you do want to fight, Dana, hit my line.”

4. Calling out Ilia Topuria for a fight

It's fair to say that during the recent live stream, McGregor used that time to call out several fighters in the UFC. The Irishman also hit out at featherweight champion Ilia Topuria, who remarked that he wasn't important enough to fight right now. "There are bigger fights than him," Topuria told Ibai Llanos. "He's not the McGregor that moved the masses; he's a McGregor who represents alcohol and drugs more than sport."

Topuria's words found their mark when a McGregor was prompted about a fight with 'El Matador' during the Duelbits live stream. "How do you think you'd beat Illy-Illia Abturo, Topturo?" McGregor read a fan question aloud about Topuria. "I'd grab him by the scruff of the chest and slap the little nose off him, yeah. The little ding dong of a thing he is, yeah." McGregor then called for a fight with Topuria at BKFC Spain on October 12. "You little fool I'll cave your head in," McGregor ranted. "You little short-a*** d**k I'll box your jaw in. On sight! I'm in Marbella Spain October 12th at the Bareknuckle. See what happens, yeah, see what happens when you cross me bro."

5. Reveals his five greatest MMA fighters of all time

The 36-year-old offered surprising selections as he revealed his five greatest mixed martial arts fighters of all time on the stream. "Rickson Gracie, Royce Gracie, Ken Shamrock, Chuck Liddell... how many is that," McGregor said. "Three? Four? The OGs... Bas Rutten. Bas Rutten, yeah. Europe's own. Europe's first is Bas Rutten. What a man Bas Rutten is. Serious shape he's in now. Bas, I'm right behind you, bro. I see you, Bas. I see you, Bas. I'm right behind you."

It's not outlandish to say all five of McGregor's picks played a pioneering role in helping MMA become the mainstream sport it is today. However, there were several big names omitted from the list, including the likes of Georges St-Pierre, Anderson Silva and Jon Jones.