Do you know how difficult it is to paint Conor McGregor in a good light? That task becomes even tougher when his arch-rival, Khabib Nurmagomedov, is part of the conversation. Yet, it’s not impossible. Recently, ‘The Eagle’ found himself in hot water after a tense interaction with fans. Not long after, an old clip of McGregor resurfaced—one that, as you might guess, painted him as an unexpected saint and people’s champion.

According to reports, Khabib Nurmagomedov was in Almaty, Kazakhstan, on December 7 for a public meet-and-greet event. While there, a group of young fans surrounded him for photos. But ‘The Eagle’ refused to take a picture with one young fan and asked security to remove him. The moment quickly triggered backlash across social media. Meanwhile, McGregor is now soaking up the spotlight—and surprisingly, for all the right reasons.

Conor McGregor helps hustlers make money

The clip in question dates back to January 2015, during UFC Fight Night 59 (McGregor vs. Dennis Siver) in Boston, Massachusetts. Full Send MMA shared the clip on X, with the caption reading, “Conor McGregor explains why he will always sign pictures for resellers.” In it, Conor McGregor is seen greeting fans waiting outside, signing stacks of autographs for people who, if you’re not familiar, would later resell them on eBay. Back then, ‘The Notorious’ had a fan-friendly, hustler mentality and fully embraced the idea.

“Make that money off eBay,” he encouraged fans. When one of his team members seemed baffled by the concept and called it bizarre, McGregor broke it down. “Well, it is. But then you collect the money, and then it’s not so bizarre,” he said. He pointed out that most fans weren’t standing in the freezing cold just for autographs. They were doing it to make something from it. “If they go to the hassle of standing outside in the cold, getting the pictures printed, showing up, you know what I mean?” he added.

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“At the end of the day, they’re supporting the event… They’re fans of the show because they understand pictures,” he said. “Let them make a few quid… They’re trying to make money so they can buy the pay-per-views. So they can buy the merchandise, so they can print them pictures. So, sign them motherf***ing pictures.” Fast forward to today, and McGregor is a very different person—often overshadowed by his controversies and far removed from the humble, enthusiastic fighter he once was.

But is the recent backlash toward Khabib the whole story? Not quite. Khabib Nurmagomedov refused to take a photo with the young fan because the kid had cut the line ahead of other children who had been waiting patiently. This is the sole reason for refusing to take the picture. Meanwhile, McGregor, once driven by passion and connection with fans, is now widely viewed as fighting purely for the money.

In 2018, Khabib and McGregor met in the Octagon for their highly anticipated fight. Despite all the trash talk and disrespect from McGregor, Khabib dominated in the cage and submitted him via rear-naked choke in round 4. Coming back to McGregor, he may have been a fan favorite once, but a recent clip of him with boxing legend Mike Tyson went viral, and the reaction to it says everything about where his reputation stands today.

‘Mystic Mac’ gets mocked even though he did nothing wrong

‘The Notorious’ found himself getting roasted online this week. In a clip posted by MMA UK News, the former UFC champion is seen casually demonstrating a few boxing moves he admires to a group seated at a table. Among them was Mike Tyson. McGregor wasn’t lecturing Tyson or trying to ‘teach’ him how to fight. 

He was simply showing a move he likes, the same way any fighter would share a technique with another legend. But the internet quickly turned the moment into a comedy reel. “When ya had too much sugar, and you’re telling Mike Tyson how to box,” one user joked. Meanwhile, another teased, “If your strategy works, why haven’t you fought in 10 years?” 

Others added quips about Tyson’s bewildered expression. In reality, McGregor was just vibing, showing respect, and still got mocked for it. MMA UK News also played a part in creating that narrative. “Conor McGregor Giving Boxing Tips to Mike Tyson,” they captioned the post. But isn’t it interesting how quickly people are willing to believe it? 

If this doesn’t show the reputation Conor McGregor of today has among fans, then nothing will. They say the devil is in the details. But in this case, the truth was. Khabib Nurmagomedov may have looked bad at first glance, but a closer look shows he had his reasons. Meanwhile, Conor McGregor once stood as a hero to many, but the real question now is: Does that still hold today?