Why is McGregor losing his fights

Conor McGregor is simply not as good as he claims to be. He’s good. He’s championship level. But he has weaknesses and those have been exposed in his fights. Look at his last 3 losses in Professional Fighting:

1. vs. Nate Diaz at Welterweight - Diaz is known for great cardio, a solid chin, fast hands and a great ground game. Conor fought well above his normal weight against a fighter with a size and reach advantage who was able to take his best shots hurt him standing and submit him on the ground when he got rocked. Conor won the rematch but barely. Diaz should always be a tough fight for him.

2. vs. Floyd Mayweather in Boxing - Why did Conor lose this fight? This one is a no-brainer. He fought an undefeated multi-division world champion who is widely recognized as the best Boxer Pound-For-Pound whose in great shape for his age. Mayweather on his worst day should mop the floor with Conor and has the skills to beat him any way he wants, which is what he did. Mayweather didn’t fight his normal game by being elusive and outpointing his opponent. He weathered the early storm, took McGregor in to deep waters and went for the knock out. McGregor did better than many expected. I didn’t think he could make it to 10 Rounds and predicted he would be done within 6 but if he doesn’t land that knockout punch which no professional Boxer has done to Floyd (he did get in a nice uppercut) Conor is always going to gas in this fight and lose. I don’t want to see a rematch unless it is under MMA rules.

3. vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov - Oddsmakers had Khabib as the favorite in this fight and for good reason. He is undefeated, never lost a Round, puts enormous pressure on opponents and absolutely smashes fighters on the ground with his relentless ground and pound. As a Sambo World Champion Khabib is also well-rounded with powerful punches and submissions. This was an interesting fight on paper both for the drama and stylistic matchup. You had Ireland vs. Russia. Team Rivalry. Multiple arrests for street fighting and hooliganism. Some of the most offensive trash talk imaginable and two larger than life fighters. This was like MMA’s real life version of Rocky Balboa vs. Ivan Drago with a superstar that has transcended the sport and an undefeated champion with a Russian mystique that puts Fedor to shame (wrestling bears as a child?!). But in the end I fully expected Khabib to get McGregor to the ground and smash him. After seeing the success Chad Mendes had that was the result I most expected.

I think that Conor McGregor still has good fights to offer in the UFC. I would like to see what he can do against Khabib in a rematch. He hasn’t fought in MMA in almost two years and focused a lot of that training during that time on Boxing in preparation for Mayweather. Khabib had a good gameplan. The fight is winnable for Conor but he doesn’t deserve an immediate rematch. He should earn it by beating a top Lightweight contender. Edson Barboza, Nate Diaz III, Kevin Lee and Anthony Pettis are great fights for him. I would most of all love to see a rematch with Jose Aldo at Lightweight. Conor’s hypetrain has been derailed but it’s not the end of his career. He’s made millions. He’s set for life if he invests his money properly. If he goes on a losing streak in MMA though his reputation and drawing power is going to take a huge hit. He’d be like Chael Sonnen, a Clown Prince of Mixed Martial Arts.

Not the king. Not the champion. Just another overhyped fad who got beat by better fighters and used his popularity to pursue other interests (See: Ronda Rousey and Brock Lesnar). People want to see a consistent winner. The diehards will always support Conor. The Irish fans will always be behind him so long as he fights but every loss weakens his brand.