Daniel Cormier Reveals the True Cause Behind Conor McGregor’s UFC Downfall

There was a time when Conor McGregor’s only passion was winning belts and perfecting his craft inside the Octagon. From his early days in Cage Warriors to his explosive arrival in the UFC, McGregor carried a hunger in his eyes that few fighters ever possess. Before fame and fortune, he worked as a plumber and dreamed of a better life. Moving in with his now fiancée, Dee Devlin, he decided to focus fully on MMA, determined to build a future that didn’t rely on welfare checks. His relentless drive paid off. 

McGregor claimed the interim featherweight title at UFC 189 with a hard-fought win over Chad Mendes, and then delivered his crowning moment, a stunning 13-second knockout of Jose Aldo at UFC 194 to become the undisputed 145-pound champion. But McGregor wasn’t done. After his epic two-fight series with Nate Diaz at 170 pounds, he captured the lightweight belt from Eddie Alvarez at UFC 205, becoming the first fighter in UFC history to hold titles in two divisions simultaneously. Then came the turning point: his 2017 boxing showdown with Floyd Mayweather. It wasn’t inside the Octagon, but it marked the start of a new chapter, one that would change McGregor’s career and life forever.

Daniel Cormier believes the $130 Million Payday Against Floyd Mayweather changed Conor McGregor

The Irishman faced Mayweather on 26 August 2017 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The bout saw ‘The Notorious’ go ten rounds against the best boxer in the world before losing via TKO. However, the financial reward of the bout was the real talk of the town. According to reports, McGregor earned nearly $130 million, while Mayweather took home $280 million. However, this money is believed to have changed McGregor’s career trajectory forever. 

In a recent episode of the Good Guy/Bad Guy podcast, Daniel Cormier weighed in on McGregor’s downfall and said, “Since you’re a kid, they tell you that, ‘Money is the root of all evil.’… I know now that they told me that because we had none of it. So, I was like, ‘If you tell them it’s evil, they don’t realize that how much it benefits you.”

He then weighed in on McGregor’s payout from the boxing bout and said, “But Chael [Sonnen], Conor McGregor made a reported $130 million in that fight. Floyd [Mayweather] made a reported $280 million in that fight. Chael, can we look back to that and can we point to that as the time or the moment that we officially lost Conor McGregor?”

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Chael Sonnen nodded in agreement and for good reason. Following the Mayweather fight, McGregor’s performance inside the Octagon never quite returned to its previous level, and his activity dropped significantly. He returned at UFC 229 for a massive showdown with Khabib Nurmagomedov but was submitted in the fourth round.

While he did bounce back with a quick win over Donald Cerrone at UFC 246, his next two fights against Dustin Poirier at UFC 257 and UFC 264 ended in heartbreak, first with a knockout loss, then with a devastating broken leg that led to a doctor’s stoppage. Since that injury, fans haven’t seen the Irishman compete.

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A comeback bout against Michael Chandler was announced for UFC 303, but McGregor pulled out due to a pinky toe injury. Since then, there’s been little progress on his return. His latest focus appears to be an event at the White House in July 2026, but fans remain unsure if the Irishman will truly be ready to step back into the cage.