Conor McGregor Claps Back After Getting Overlooked by Ilia Topuria and Islam Makhachev in UFC Rankings List

All-time leader in UFC PPV sales, Conor McGregor, did not appreciate getting overtaken by current champions in a list made by Complex Sports.

Conor McGregor Claps Back After Getting Overlooked by Ilia Topuria and Islam Makhachev in UFC Rankings List

Conor McGregor (via BJ Penn)

In Short
  • Conor McGregor expressed frustration over being ranked 18th in Complex Sports' '25 Best UFC Fighters of All Time' list.
  • Islam Makhachev and Ilia Topuria were ranked above McGregor, who has not fought since 2021.
  • McGregor remains motivated to return to the octagon and is open to fighting anyone, aiming for a long career ahead.

Conor McGregor is an important part of UFC history. No one can deny that as he holds multiple records and reigns as the undisputed PPV king of the promotion. However, his standing in the sport as a top 10 fighter all-time is widely disputed. A recent ranking made by Complex Sports drew ire from the Irish UFC superstar for the same reason. 

Complex Sports is known for sneaker shopping content with popular celebrities. Moreover, their website is well-versed with music and entertainment spaces as well. As such, when they released their ’25 Best UFC Fighters of All Time’ list, the most bankable UFC star had problems. McGregor found himself in the 18th position, below Islam Makhachev and Ilia Topuria.

Jon Jones was ranked at the top and Khabib Nurmagomedov found himself at the third spot. Interestingly, Makhachev was in the top 10, gaining 8th position, and Topuria was two spots ahead of McGregor. Upon seeing the rankings made by Complex Sports, McGregor had some snarky retorts, emphasizing his dissent.

Major names such as Georges St-Pierre, Anderson Silva, Daniel Cormier, Demetrious Johnson, Amanda Nunes, Alexander Volkanovski, and Valentina Shevchenko found themselves in the top 10 alongside Jones, Nurmagomedov and Makhachev.

Popular superstar Alex Pereira was ranked at the 15th spot despite only having been in the UFC for around 5 years. ‘African Kings’ trio of Kamaru Usman, Israel Adesanya, and Francis Ngannou also found themselves on the list.

So far, others have not responded to the list from Complex Sports. Only the Irishman responded in typical ‘Mystic Mac’ fashion. Conor McGregor has not fought since 2021, and has yet to win a fight in five years. Maybe, the recency bias played a part, but other fighters above him, especially in the top 10 deserves their spot according to most fans.

Conor McGregor is extremely motivated to continue fighting career

Back in 2024, Conor McGregor almost competed again as UFC booked UFC 303 main event bout against Michael Chandler. Without wanting to risk his health, a pinky toe injury prevented the Irishman from competing. Since then, the UFC has yet to book a bout for the former double champion.

Conor McGregor and Joe Rogan
Conor McGregor and Joe Rogan (via Bloody Elbow)

A return at the UFC White House event was on the cards, but that didn’t happen. At best, he can look forward to the International Fight Week card, scheduled for July, as a major opportunity to make a comeback. The revenue will skyrocket with ‘The Notorious’ headlining the event, and journalist Ariel Helwani also noted that July return was possible.

Despite his exclusion from the UFC White House card, the Irishman remains motivated as ever to make a return. In fact, he just wants to return to the octagon to continue his career. McGregor also indicated that he wants to fight for a long time before retiring.

Even if they offer me a no-name they think is gonna be a tough fight, no problem! Send the contract, yes, yes, yes! I’ll still be at the White House, and whoever I’m facing they bring us into the octagon and we face off. I’m gonna go until 50 [years old]. I’ve got at least 10 fights left.

Conor McGregor via @smashcastmedia

At the moment, there are rumors of a rematch against Max Holloway as the perfect way to welcome back the Irishman. This potential rematch will happen after a decade of their last bout where McGregor won via unanimous decision. With Holloway also coming off a loss after what happened at UFC 326, the rematch will surely have high-stakes for both fighters to return to the win column.

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