Conor McGregor became the UFC featherweight champion at UFC 194 late last year, and he did so in impressive fashion. The Irish star finished longtime titleholder Jose Aldo in record-breaking time -- only 13-seconds into the five-round main event.
Despite the length of the mega-fight, just about every witness of it was impressed with the new champion's performance, including current WBA welterweight champion Keith Thurman.
"So, McGregor did his thing in his 13-second performance," Thurman told Fight Hub TV. "He obviously -- I haven't watched a lot of him -- but hearing what I've heard of him, with his boxing background, it was kind of apparent with his step back, check hook that night of the fight.
"I was not impressed with Aldo jumping in and putting his chin so far out on the 1-2 that was exposed and which McGregor caught him with. In fights that are so short, there's not a lot to talk about, but really, that was the ultimate mistake. He should've understood that he was going up against someone with a boxing background, and he should not have lunged in from the start of the match. McGregor saw the lunge, he saw the attack, he countered it, he went down from having so much forward momentum, and then he went into the ground-and-pound, which is apart of UFC, and it was instantly stopped, which I agree with. It was obvious that Aldo was not unconscious at the point but he was in a horrible position and if you truly want to win a fight, you will not allow yourself to be in that position.
Thurman said he hasn't watched too many of McGregor's fights, but by the sounds of it, he'll be ordering the Irishman's next pay-per-view fight against Rafael dos Anjos at UFC 196 in March.
"McGregor, going into the ring, his confidence, his charisma. He seems very athletic, although he only got to show a portion of that, and he's definitely an entertaining person in the sport and in the fight game, in general."