Conor McGregor Shares Instagram Posts Celebrating UFC Debut, Says ‘I Am The UFC’

It was exactly four years ago Thursday that Conor McGregor made his UFC debut, changing the MMA promotion forever. In a short period of time, the Irish Fighter has become one of the most dominant athletes in UFC history, as well as the biggest star in combat sports.

McGregor celebrated his anniversary with two Instagram posts late Thursday night, including a video of his first-ever fight in the UFC. His first post received over 700,000 likes in nine hours.

READ: Expert predictions for Conor McGregor vs. Floyd Mayweather

McGregor took on Marcus Brimage in a featherweight bout on April 6, 2013 in Stockholm, Sweden as part of “UFC on Fuel TV: Mousasi vs. Latifi.” He made quick work of his opponent, registering a knockout in just 67 seconds.

It was a glimpse of what was to come for McGregor, who would go on to win his first seven fights with the company. He needed just two and a half years to win his first title, knocking out Jose Aldo in just 13 seconds at UFC 194.

Less than three months later, McGregor would suffer his first loss in the UFC, moving up two weight classes and tapping out to Nate Diaz at UFC 196. But he got his revenge at UFC 202 in August, and he recorded a second-round knockout of Eddie Alvarez for the lightweight championship at UFC 205.

McGregor has since been stripped of the featherweight title, which he never defended, but he was the first fighter to ever hold two UFC belts simultaneously.

When McGregor says “I am the UFC,” it’s difficult to dispute his claim. He’s easily become the company’s biggest draw, generating close to four million pay-per-view buys in his three 2016 fights. His gift of gab and ability inside the octagon has made him a star unlike any the UFC has ever seen.

He’s become such a big star that he could face Floyd Mayweather in a boxing match in 2017. McGregor would have close to no chance of upsetting the best welterweight of his generation, but his star power could help the pay-per-view break records.