VIDEO | Take a trip back in time and watch some of Conor McGregor’s earliest fights

https://youtu.be/KFs-nnYJGXg

Today, Conor McGregor stands out as the biggest star that mixed martial arts has ever produced. With a bottomless bank account and unprecedented international fame, he now whips around in a white Lamborghini, and attends press conferences decked out in Gucci mink. Yet the Irish star comes from humble beginnings. Like most fighters do, he began his career on the regional circuit, where he won, lost and learned under the buzzing florescent lights of community center basements and small event spaces.

In the video at the top of this post, you can watch some of McGregor’s earliest trips into the cages and rings of the mixed martial arts game – including is famous 2010 submission loss to Joe Duffy. At 44:20 long, it’s a bit of a lengthy video, but as a window into the early stages of one of MMA’s most incredible careers, it’s absolutely worth a watch.

When we last saw McGregor in action, he made UFC history as the first fighter to hold titles in two weight classes concurrently. He did so with a beautiful, second-round knockout of then lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez. Prior to this history making win, McGregor engaged in two unforgettable welterweight wars with Nate Diaz, winning the second, and experiencing his lone UFC loss in the first. Before these battles with Diaz, McGregor won the UFC featherweight title with a 13 second knockout of the great Jose Aldo.

Today, McGregor is enjoying a bit of quiet, as he takes a break from competition to father his first child with longtime girlfriend Dee Devlin. Given that he was recently stripped of the featherweight title he won from Aldo, his eventual return to action will almost certainly occur at lightweight, where bouts with contenders like Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson await, and a trilogy fight with Nate Diaz is an ever-present possibility.

Who do you want to see McGregor fight next? Sound off, PENN Nation!