Royce Gracie is not only the most successful but also the most famous fighter from the earliest days of the UFC and the Hall of Famer recently gave his thoughts on Conor McGregor and his return to the sport. This isn’t the first time he’s spoken about the modern generation of MMA fighters, although he generally tends to focus more on those that are within his own family. It’s no surprise that he has some thoughts on McGregor though, as he is undoubtedly the most famous fighter of the past few years and has managed to break down barriers that many had thought was impossible before.
Of course, it hasn’t all been plain-sailing for McGregor, as he has also had his fair share of run-ins with the law and is often regarded as one of the sport’s most polarizing figures. Regardless, it’s undeniable that he’s still one of the most impressive strikers and would be a tough challenge for anyone in the Featherweight or Lightweight divisions. Although he is a striker first and foremost, elite Jiu-Jitsu competitors like Gilbert Burns have talked about the level of grappling that McGregor has too, something that often goes unnoticed.
Royce Gracie made his comments on Conor McGregor in a recent interview with the Mirror:
“Conor McGregor can put up a show and he’s a very good fighter. Sometimes he wins fast and sometimes he loses. People talk trash about him when he loses but hey – if you’ve never lost, you’ve never fought.”
Royce Gracie didn’t just talk about Conor McGregor specifically though, as he also alluded to the differences between modern MMA and what the sport was when he was a competitor:
“He’s always exciting to watch because you never know what’s going to happen. He comes to fight and every time he gets in, it’s a good fight. In the beginning [of the UFC], it was “style against a style”. Today it’s not that anymore; it’s “fighter against a fighter” and who has the best strategy. So, anything can happen.”
