Dricus du Plessis makes big claim about Conor McGregor’s prime years

Former UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis has made a big claim about Conor McGregor’s prime years.

McGregor is considered one of the biggest superstars in the history of mixed martial arts and is known for his top-class striking skills.

McGregor has headlined five of the UFC's highest-selling pay-per-view (PPV) events, and he is the biggest PPV draw in MMA history. Given the Irishman’s personality and status, many fighters consider him their idol and credit him for helping bring the sport into the mainstream.

During an interview with Fight Forecast, Du Plessis claimed that Conor McGregor was bigger than sport itself.

"Say what you want about the guy, he's been somebody that I've looked up to since I was a teenager... In my opinion, without him, this sport wouldn't be where it is today... He changed the whole game as one single guy... Everybody says you can't be bigger than the sport, he was," Du Plessis said.

The South African UFC fighter, in May 2024, also lauded McGregor for helping bring MMA to the mainstream and claimed that fighters should be thankful to him.

''I mean, that guy, everything he touches, he’s such a legend in this sport, What he’s done for the sport, he’s transformed it into such a mainstream sport... I can understand disliking the persona, but knowing... I don’t know him personally, but meeting him, different person,” he said.

“And even if you don’t like him, you can’t ever, ever discredit what he’s done for this sport because every single fighter needs to thank him.''