Love him or hate him, you can’t help but talk about him.
If you haven’t heard of UFC Lightweight champion Conor Mcgregor from his many twitter rants chances are you’ve seen him appear on your favorite talk show.
Just last night McGregor appeared in front of 5,000 fans and pay-per-view television, but he didn’t fight, he talked. Last night “The Notorious” McGregor held an exclusive interview inside Trafford Park that was also streamed live the same time UFC Dever was being held.
The night started out in true “Mystic Mac” fashion, a pre-show Instagram post saying, “Fuck the UFC. Fuck Floyd. Fuck boxing. Fuck the WWE. Fuck Hollywood. And fuck you to pay me.” During the one hour interview with MMAJunkie.com’s, Ariel Helwani, McGregor elaborated on his relationship with the UFC, his plans to complete the Diaz trilogy and the possible super-fight againt Floyd “Money” Mayweather.
In response to how the relationship between him and the UFC has been since being stripped of his featherweight belt, McGregor stated that he and Dana are still on good terms. “Business is business and they’ve got to create [business],” he stated. “But don’t get me wrong. Sign me up to fight any of those bum featherweights and they won’t show up,” the champ added.
When asked about a trilogy match against Nate Diaz McGregor quickly responded, “I’ll get to Nate don’t get me wrong. Me and Nate will throw down again 100 percent.” “And I imagine it would be for the lightweight world title,” he added.
And when the question about his rumored super fight against Mayweather finally came McGregor shot right up in his seat and told Helwani, “Look, there are a lot of steps to get the fight done, but it’s the fight to make. It’s the fight that people want. It’s the fight that I want.” “I believe it will happen by the end of this year or early next year,” McGregor announced. McGregor also made clear he believes his fight against Mayweather could gross nearly a billion dollars.
There’s no denying the fact McGregor has that “it” factor that just makes people superstars, but he’s also one of the best at strategical communication.
By calling out the UFC, Mayweather, the WWE, and everyone else on social media, McGregor instantly engaged with thousands of UFC, boxing, and WWE fans before his interview had even started.
I know what you’re thinking: twitter rants happen every day. But this isn’t just another tweet by McGregor. As a mixed martial arts fighter, McGregor technically works for himself and his value increasing along with his brand. So, not only is he competing with his employer by promoting a separate event the same time the UFC was holding a fight card, but he’s using social media to increase his pay-per-view numbers and give himself leverage over the UFC.
If McGregor can prove his likeness will attract thousands to watch him on television, even just to see him speak, he can use that as a negotiating tactic during his next contract with the UFC. Simply put, if he’s there people will watch.
This time he brought in the lucrative world of boxing into the mix. After UFC 205, McGregor accomplished his grandest dreams. And seemingly untouched from his title fight against Eddie Alvarez, McGregor was left searching for quality opponents. McGregor is never shy to talk about money which explains his idea to make a super-fight against the undefeated Mayweather.
Some people (me) will tune in to whatever McGregor does just to hear what crazy antics come out of his mouth. Others don’t think so highly of the Irishman and would prefer he fade into the background. But that’s okay, because love or hate him, you can’t stop talking about “The Notorious” Conor McGregor.
Now your personality might not be as rash as McGregor’s but you can still learn a lot from how he strategically gains attention and builds his brand. From calling out opponents and businesses just moments before a televised interview to the way he speaks his truth in person.
It doesn’t matter whether you’re a fan of his or not, you know who he is, and you definitely know his brand.
Highlight Reels and PR 
January 30, 2017 at 9:13 pm
I agree that McGregor has a way with words to build his brand. What do you think the balance is between connecting with your audience and having a professional brand following? In other words, do you think McGregor’s tweets could have a negative impact on his brand?
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March 9, 2017 at 12:33 am
Mcgregor has made a name for himself by being boastful and unafraid to speak his mind. I don’t think his tweets could have a negative impact on his brand unless he tweeted extremely offensive thoughts targeting a specific audience.
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