10. UFC Debut
After cleaning house in Cage Warriors Fighting Championship and capturing two divisional titles with the promotion, McGregor made his way to the UFC. There was buzz surrounding his debut but nothing to indicate he would become the mega-star we see today. McGregor was expected to triumph over Marcus Brimage in his first-ever Octagon appearance at UFC on Fuel TV 9 in April 2013, though he opened as a modest -170 favorite.
McGregor wasted no time in bringing the fight to Brimage, who had the misfortune of meeting the Irishman in Stockholm. “The Bama Beast” struggled to stay competitive before being overwhelmed by a series of accurate power punches, many of them uppercuts, in just 67 seconds. It was quick, exciting and a bit unnerving, as the MMA world was put on blast: McGregor had arrived.
Number 9 » ‘Wake Up Jose’