The UFC has long been considered to be the natural successor of professional wrestling, with the classic trash-talking and character-building being followed with action that wasn’t pre-determined.
Nobody has walked this line better than Conor McGregor, who has enjoyed a career of trash-talking which has built his character to a degree that even the WWE would have been proud.
Conor Mcgregor reacts angrily to a hat being thrown at him whilst partying
Of course, his natural fighting talents have been equally as important, as it’s no use trash-talking if you then submit in the first round of every bout.
Mike Tyson: Conor McGregor is crazy and bold
McGregor‘s rise has been so impressive that it has caught the attention of two legendary figures within the world of combat sports, with both Mike Tyson and Mark Calaway (The Undertaker) praising the Irish fighter.
“You have to have a gimmick, a mean, tough, street type, it’s all a gimmick, it’s real but it’s a gimmick,” Tyson explained on his Hotboxin’ podcast.
“The only guys that got all the money, they got a gimmick… Conor McGregor, he has a gimmick.
“He’s crazy, he’s bold, it’s a gimmick, in real life he’s a beautiful guy.”
The Undertaker: Conor McGregor sells tickets
Whilst the nature of the in-ring combat is uniquely different, professional wrestlers are perhaps the most adept at creating gimmicks and personas for themselves.
Calaway‘s Undertaker persona lived strong for over two decades, and he has a legendary reputation due to sticking with his gimmick.
When speaking about McGregor with Tyson, the former wrestler made it clear just how important gimmicks can be to business.