Rogan: McGregor biggest combat sport athlete ever

The best pound for pound fighter in mixed martial arts fights Saturday night, and Demetrious Johnson is not even the main event. That slot is taken by the #2 lightweight contender vs. the #7 lightweight contender. The reason 2+9>G.O.A.T. is because the winner MIGHT fight UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor. Notorious recently named eight fighters that were possibilities, but being event remotely close to fighting McGregor is the biggest thing in MMA today.

During a recent Joe Rogan Experience, UFC commentator Joe Rogan discussed the greatness of Conor McGregor.

You’re never gonna see another one like him because he’s a unique person,” began Rogan, as transcribed by Jed Meshew for MMA Fighting. “He’s literally being himself. You’re gonna see a bunch of people try to mimic that and in a sense, he sort of mimicked the people who came before him, like the Chael Sonnens and the Muhammad Alis and the people that were really good at talking s***.

“The difference is, what Conor’s been able to do is he’s the first guy in the UFC that’s been able to do that, that’s had spectacular results, and also showed his real character in losing and then coming back and winning very quickly afterwards against the same guy – the Nate Diaz fight. That was a very important character exposing fight because he lost a fight, he got humbled, and then he jumped right back on the horse and then wound up winning. Then he comes back and blows Eddie Alvarez out of the water to become the first two-division, concurrent champion in the sport.

I think he’s a unique guy in a very – it’s almost like we don’t have a word strong enough. Unique isn’t a strong enough word. . . He’s got brilliant ability. He’s incredibly smart. He’s very innovative in his techniques and his approaches and I think he has phenomenal coaching as well.

He’s a combination of a lot of things. He has a brilliant team. John Kavanagh, his coach, is a brilliant coach. He’s got amazing jiu-jitsu coaching and striking coaching and his mind, he understands how to apply these things. His ability to perform under pressure is fantastic. You saw that in the Mayweather fight. Even though he lost that fight, he hit Mayweather with some pretty good shots and he won the first three rounds against the greatest boxer of all-time. That’s extraordinary.

Conor’s an extraordinary person. He has greatness.

With Mayweather retired, despite the loss, Rogan argues compellingly that Conor McGregor is now the biggest fighter in the world.

I don’t think it hurts his stock in any way. I think it elevates him. His next fight in the UFC, whoever it will be, will be probably the biggest fight in UFC history, especially if it’s Nate Diaz because Nate Diaz is a huge name. If Nate Diaz and him decide to do it one more time I think that will be the biggest fight ever in the history of the sport because I think Conor has eclipsed the sport, largely.

He’s the biggest combat sport athlete not just of today, but ever. There’s no one like him.”