You may not be a fan of Conor McGregor’s verbose pre-fight trash talk, but no one can say that the Irishman isn’t humble in defeat.

Three weeks after tapping due to neck crank in the fourth round of his highly anticipated brawl with current UFC lightweight king, Khabib Nurmagomedov, McGregor publicly analyzed the fight—round by round—before coming to a mature conclusion

“What can I say? It was a great fight and it was my pleasure. I will be back with my confidence high. Fully prepared. If it’s not the rematch right away, no problem. I will face the next in line. It’s all me, always, anyway. See you soon my fighting fans. I love you all.”

With 29 million Instagram followers (more than double what the UFC has), a new whiskey company, and a suit deal with David August, it’s easy to think of Conor McGregor as a brand and not an athlete. But at his core, McGregor is a competitor—a damn good one—and these lucid moments from the eccentric fighter are a reason why fans are quick to forgive him for his antics. 

View this post on Instagram

Thoughts on my last fight. Round 1. I believe from a sport standpoint, round 1 was his. Top position against the fence. Zero position advancement or damage inflicted. But top position. From a fight standpoint the first round is mine. Actual shots landed and a willingness to engage. Straight left early. Knee to the head on the low shot. Elbows in any and all tie up scenarios. Opponent just holding the legs against the fence for almost the entire round. Round 2 he is running away around the cage before being blessed with a right hand that changed the course of the round, and the fight. It was a nice shot. After the shot I bounced back up to engage instantly, but again he dipped under to disengage. That is the sport and it was a smart move that led to a dominant round, so no issue. Well played. If I stay switched on and give his stand up even a little more respect, that right hand never gets close and we are talking completely different now. I gave his upright fighting no respect in preparation. No specific stand up spars whatsoever. Attacking grapplers/wrestlers only. That won’t happen again. I also gave my attacking grappling no respect. To defense minded. Lessons. Listen to nobody but yourself on your skill set. You are the master of your own universe. I am the master of this. I must take my own advice. Round 3. After the worst round of my fighting career, I come back and win this round. Again walking forward, walking him down, and willing to engage. Round 4. My recovery was not where it could have been here. That is my fault. Although winning the early exchanges in 4, he dips under again and I end up in a bad position with over 3 on the clock. I work to regain position and end up upright, with my back to the fence. A stable position. Here however, I made a critical error of abandoning my over hook at this crucial time, exposing the back, and I end up beaten fair and square. What can I say? It was a great fight and it was my pleasure. I will be back with my confidence high. Fully prepared. If it is not the rematch right away, no problem. I will face the next in line. It’s all me always, anyway. See you soon my fighting fans I love you all ❤

A post shared by Conor McGregor Official (@thenotoriousmma) on

Topics: