It was Friday night when Ryan Garcia took on Rolly Romero, and a reporter from iFL TV shot the big question to Mike Tyson. He was asked about his favorite fighter from Ireland. The former heavyweight champion and legend of the squared circle replied, “You know how many great Irish fighters [there are]. Johnny Kilbane is [one of my favorites]. Let’s see, I like Mike McTigue, Jack Dempsey [is] my favorite Irish fighter.”

Needless to say, ‘The Baddest Man On The Planet’ had some of the baddest choices. It’s indeed tough to choose one favorite fighter from a land that gave us some of the most talented combat sports athletes, with its people commonly referred to as ‘The Fighting Irish.’ Notice anything uncanny? He completely missed out on mentioning Conor McGregor. Didn’t McGregor front himself as the “face of Irish combat sports?” Well, we’re here to make an argument for the Irishman, and list our reasons as to why ‘Iron Mike’ should have included ‘The Notorious’ on his list. 

Reasons why Mike Tyson shouldn’t have left Conor McGregor out of his list of favorites

First, let’s take a look at what the Dubliner has achieved. To put it bluntly, it was McGregor who put Ireland on the global MMA map. His rise in the UFC and his tremendous KOs were what attracted many fight fans to get hooked on MMA. On top of that, he made sure that he was the inspiration to a whole new generation of Irish fighters. Take Ian Garry, for example. He began fighting because he wanted to be like ‘The Notorious’. 

Then came the magnum opus of the Irishman’s career—fighting Eddie Alvarez for the lightweight title at UFC 205. It was the moment that witnessed him becoming the first-ever champ-champ in the UFC. No doubt, ‘Mystic Mac’ opened up a whole new world of possibilities (double-champion possibilities, to be specific) with this win. And it was all because of his charismatic nature. Do you remember what he said after winning two belts?

He said, “I just want to say from the bottom of my heart, I’d like to take this chance to apologize… to absolutely nobody! The champ champ does what the f**k he wants!” Talk about garnering aura points, right? And how can we forget his rivalry with Khabib Nurmagomedov. Despite facing a defeat, the event managed to sell the highest PPV numbers just because McGregor managed to boost the UFC’s popularity with this one rivalry. 

And the best thing? He didn’t just stick to MMA. McGregor also tried his luck in the squared ring against Floyd Mayweather. Of course, he wasn’t able to secure a win against ‘Money’. But he did manage to earn the entire world’s respect by going all 10 rounds and landing some impressive shots against one of the best in the boxing world. It wasn’t just an act to enhance his popularity—it was actually a legacy-building performance. 

And if we connect all the dots and take a look at the big picture, there is absolutely no one who can match McGregor in terms of how he elevated the game of mixed martial arts and launched it into mainstream popularity. He is a major draw for events, has a global fanbase, has a resume that is unmatched among other Irish fighters, has acted in an action-packed movie, and he’s now a part-owner of BKFC. He even expressed a desire to run for the Irish Presidency. Who has achieved this much in their lives, apart from success in their career? No one! 

However, McGregor’s life isn’t exactly a bed of roses. He had to stay away from the Octagon after he got terribly injured during UFC 264. It was a complex fracture that needed a lot of time to heal. But while many would stay out of the headlines during such periods, McGregor painted a different story. Nevertheless, he did have fallouts with friends, received backlash from fans, and lost a civil case since then. But he has never given up on the desire to rise to the top. 

And while Mike Tyson didn’t really name Conor McGregor among his favorite Irish fighters, there are many instances when the boxing legend praised ‘Mystic Mac’. Let’s take a look at that for a moment, shall we?

Every instance when Tyson praised ‘The Notorious’

Back in 2016, Mike Tyson had a conversation with Fighters Only, where he compared McGregor with Jon Jones. He said, “Conor is very charismatic. Jon Jones is bad, but deep down he’s a decent kind of person and very shy. Whereas this guy, Conor, he’s the man. He reminds me of the old-time boxers, one of those guys that’s just into everything. He walks into the room and everybody stands up. He sucks the air out of the room. He’s just a really interesting guy. He does things nobody else has been able to do, too.” 

And as a fighter? ‘Iron Mike’ was impressed by the Dubliner’s fighting prowess. However, he made a comment that ‘The Notorious’s personality was even bigger than his talent. He continued, “He’s got this huge personality. Nobody in MMA has ever had a personality as big as his.” But when McGregor took on Mayweather for a boxing bout, Tyson was in awe of the Irishman. 

Taking to his YouTube podcast, Tyson pointed out that going 10 rounds against someone like ‘Money’ was itself a commendable act. It simply didn’t matter if the bout ended in a win or a loss. He said, “That’s a bad motherf—–. First fight, 10 rounds with the champ, the best champ in the last 50 years or something like that. That’s the winner of the fight! That’s the winner.”

Well, things seem to be a bit different now. Staying out of the UFC and pulling out of UFC 303 seemed to have put McGregor in a bad light. Nevertheless, he still has 2 bouts remaining in his UFC contract. And sooner or later, we just might get to see the Irish fighter make waves in the Octagon once again. 

Who is your favorite Irish fighter other than our very own ‘Mystic Mac’? What do you think of Tyson’s favorites? Let us know what you think in the comments down below.