Watch rare footage of Conor McGregor winning first ever MMA bout by KO as an 18-year-old as he prepares for Dustin Poirier rematch at UFC 257

Simply utter the name ‘Conor McGregor’ and even the most flippant of sports fan will know who the Irishman is.

A former UFC two-weight world champion, McGregor transcended MMA when he fought Floyd Mayweather in one of the most lucrative fights ever in 2017.

UFC superstar Conor McGregor has transcended the world of MMA

A little more than 12 months later, ‘The Notorious’ was back in the octagon again – returning in an attempt to reclaim the throne from Khabib Nurmagomedov.

Although unsuccessful, the former champion had faced two of the greatest fighters of the current combat sports era back-to-back and propelled himself further into the stratospheres of superstardom.

The 32-year-old fought once last year and has ended his retirement to face former foe Dustin Poirier at UFC 257 later this month as he seeks to cement his legacy as a two-time UFC lightweight champion.

But long before he was a whisky-drinking, supercar-driving, hard-hitting superstar, McGregor was a kid from Dublin with nothing but a dream to fight.

Dustin Poirier was knocked out inside one round when the pair first met at UFC 178 as featherweights

After trying his hands at boxing at the Crumlin Boxing Academy, the Irishman decided to pursue a career in MMA as a teenager and never looked back.

Footage of his first ever MMA bout as an 18-year-old is truly a stark reminder of just how far he has come.

On February 17, 2007, McGregor knocked out fellow amateur Kieran Campbell under the banner of the Irish Ring of Truth promotion in Dublin.

As you can see from the footage, McGregor pounced on his opponent from the first bell and looked to throw his trademark left hand whenever the opportunity presented itself.

McGregor tries desperately to find a home for the left hand

The Irishman jumps for joy after the referee waves the contest off in the first round

What fans may not recognise are the rather audacious swimming trunks he appears to be wearing in the bout, a far cry from the much more tailored Reebok shorts he wears when he fights in the UFC.

As the referee steps in to stop the contest, McGregor cannot contain his pure excitement as he parades around the ring and jumps for joy after securing his first ever win in MMA.

Of course, so much has changed since that fateful day in Ireland’s capital, but the burning desire to fight remains as bright as ever.

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