Conor McGregor won two Cage Warriors belts before signing with the UFCCredit: Cage Warriors

Buchinger was his last victim on the regional sceneCredit: Cage Warriors

The young Irishman took his big opportunity with both hands.

McGregor put on a flawless performance at The Helix in Dublin and realised his double champion dream when he knocked out Buchinger in the first round.

The now-35-year-old dipped out of the way of his opponent’s punch before returning with a left-hand counter that left the Slovakian star unconscious on the canvas.

A day later, UFC commentator Joe Rogan got in touch and congratulated him on an epic win that accelerated his journey to MMA’s best league.

He tweeted “I just caught your fight, Conor. Congratulations, you looked sensational! Hope to see you in the UFC someday. Best of luck!

McGregor replied: “Thank you very much, Joe, that means a lot. You are a f****** legend, my friend!”

It soon became clear his performance had caught the attention of the UFC, with president Dana White moving quickly to sign him in February 2013.

In April of that same year, McGregor stopped Marcus Brimage in his UFC debut to earn himself a hefty bonus and a drive around Las Vegas in White’s Ferrari.

White snapped him up and they did brilliant business togetherCredit: Getty Images – Getty

The rest, as they say, is history. In 2016, he became a dual-weight champion once again by stopping lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez 11 months after knocking out featherweight king Jose Aldo.

Today, McGregor is undoubtedly the biggest star in MMA history.

‘Mystic Mac’ is rich beyond his wildest dreams, and he even topped Forbes’ list of loaded athletes due to a combination of his massive fight purses and business acumen.

McGregor hasn’t fought since breaking his leg at UFC 264 in July 2021.

The father of three is fully fit and ready to make his return.

Lightweight Michael Chandler will welcome McGregor back to the Octagon after he’s completed six months of mandatory drug tests.

It’s believed McGregor will be eligible to compete from April 2024 and former middleweight champion Michael Bisping recently told talkSPORT the Irishman could headline UFC 300.

Only time will tell when MMA’s greatest icon will make his comeback.