Conor McGregor looks unrecognisable in MMA debut footage from 14 years ago

Conor McGregor has worked his way up from apprentice plumber to become one of the most recognisable sporting stars on the planet – and his physical appearance has changed along the way.

Before turning professional, McGregor tested himself in mixed martial arts for the first time in an amateur bout against Kieran Campbell at the age of 18 back in 2007.

The Irishman overwhelmed his opponent with a flurry of kicks and punches to win by technical knockout in the first round as his lucrative MMA career launched.

Fighting under the Irish Ring of Truth promotion in Dublin, the bout would provide the platform for McGregor to progress, and he begun training at the Straight Blast Gym under John Kavanagh the following year.

Back in 2020, McGregor commented on the bout on social media, saying it was when he knew he was on the correct path.

He wrote: "McGregor vs Campbell. It was only right that my debut mixed martial arts fight was against a Campbell.

"The McGregors have been fighting the Campbells since the highlands. Sworn enemies at a time. Nothing at this time. It showed me then that the path I was on, was correct."

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A full 11 years later, McGregor would become the first person to hold UFC championships in two different weight classes simultaneously before boxing one of the greatest ever in Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Although he is currently on a run of three defeats from his last four octagon bouts, including two defeats at the hands of Dustin Poirier, McGregor remains one of the highest earning sporting stars.

The 33-year-old was ranked as the world's highest paid athlete by Forbes in 2021, earning a reported £132million thanks to his UFC earnings but mainly endorsement deals.

Currently recovering from the broken leg he suffered in his doctor stoppage defeat to Poirier back in July, McGregor has hinted that he wants to face UFC Lightweight champion Charles Oliveira.

After he tweeted "So what date am I fighting Oliveira?"

The Brazilian replied: "What do you think about this weekend? I'm ready, I'm still in town, and there's an upcoming event. Let's go baby."

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