Conor McGregor is one of the most famous fighters in the entire history of the UFC, although this hasn't always been for the best reasons. As many of you already know, McGregor has been known to be aggressive with the public, and it has landed him in trouble with the law. Despite this, McGregor has maintained his status as one of the biggest stars in the sport, even if he hasn't won a fight in a fairly long time.
There are a lot of people who know McGregor personally, including his bodyguard Mitchell Atkinson. Recently, Atkinson spoke to MMA Life about McGregor and whether or not the man is really that wild in real life, behind closed doors. As Atkinson notes, McGregor is simply playing a character, and fans should take his persona with a grain of salt.
Conor McGregor's Bodyguard Explains What The Fighter Is Really Like">Bennett Raglin/Getty Images
"What you see in the media isn't necessarily how they are as a person," Atkinson explained. "I always said, 'Conor, he's a great actor, do you know what I mean? The man... There's no doubt about it, he's an absolute genius but the Notorious MMA [persona] is very much a character who he plays a lot of the time. He's a much quieter [person] and he's, yeah, he's very quiet and he's got a personality like an artist where he kind of wears his heart on his sleeve...he's a phenomenal actor and he's a genius, you know, notorious MMA is a character who he plays that made him a billionaire within a matter of years."
Considering McGregor has been involved in numerous public incidents away from the Octagon, it's hard to take these comments at face value. However, Atkinson does know McGregor personally, which certainly counts for something.
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