Georges St-Pierre might be one of the most beloved UFC champions of all time. But even his stardom seems to have its limits. GSP found out the hard way that his popularity doesn’t protect him from reproach after he posted a poster containing pictures of some of the top fighters of the 21st century.
Intriguingly, the Canadian legend’s post didn’t have a picture of former UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor, attracting some vicious comments from fans. They pointed out that while other fighters on the poster, like Khabib Nurmagomedov and Jon Jones, dominated their respective divisions, McGregor’s impact on the sport was larger.
The Irishman was the ultimate poster boy for the UFC. His rags-to-riches story was one of the prime factors that added to his appeal. An apprentice plumber from Dublin, Ireland, living on minimum wages and working 6 to 12 hours a day, became one of the highest-paid athletes in the world.
McGregor captured the imagination of millions across the globe. And that was highlighted by a fan who dismissed GSP’s list, saying, “McGregor put the UFC on the map and made it big time! Who else did it like him? Zero!” Some fans were even more blunt.
“Garbage. No Conor”, and “Connor McGregor should [be] on there before 8 of the rest,” read their comments. Others questioned some of the names included in the top 10, with many highlighting Kamaru Usman’s presence as a surprise.
Garbage. No Conor.
— UPFRONT MMA (@upfrontmma) March 31, 2025
“No disrespect intended, but why is Usman in this pic lol,” wrote a user, while another argued that Jose Aldo (also missing from the poster), a dominant champion in the featherweight division, should have been in Usman’s place.
McGregor, at one point in his career, was set to become one of the all-time greats. But an adventure into boxing — he did make a lot of money fighting Floyd Mayweather, of course — and other controversial antics have since diluted his MMA legacy.
The multitude of legal cases of assault against him haven’t done him any favors, nor has his attitude towards his peers. Simply put, his legacy is complicated.
McGregor’s Impact on MMA
In his peak, McGregor headlined eight out of 10 of the highest-grossing PPVs in UFC history. Of course, during these days, he achieved some incredible feats as well, like knocking Aldo out in 13 seconds and winning titles in two weight divisions.
His success has created the notion that a UFC gold winner has to be a two-division champion at least to be considered great. And many of the fighters now move up and down weights, trying to forge their legacies.
With his financial success, McGregor changed how fighters approach their business interests outside the octagon. Fighters like Dustin Poirier, with his signature hot sauce, and the Diaz brothers, with their Game Up Nutrition, are trying to emulate the way McGregor had promoted Proper 12 back in the day.
You could compare his impact on the UFC to that of Michael Jordan in the NBA. Before Jordan, players were never great at marketing themselves or effectively using all the air time they got on TV to market their brand and products they endorsed.
And before Jordan, the NBA wasn’t as popular in the rest of the world. His career transformed both the NBA and, with it, the sneaker market.
This is exactly what ‘The Notorious’ did as well. He garnered eyeballs from across the world and used that attention to market himself and his products, and the UFC as well. He was truly a generational athlete and entertainer.
Unfortunately, his antics in the last few years have overshadowed what were once the qualities of one of the biggest overachievers in the sport.
