Georges St-Pierre, Demetrious Johnson debate Conor McGregor’s greatness: ‘He used to create an emotion’

Georges St-Pierre and Demetrious Johnson have weighed in on Conor McGregor's enduring star power ahead of his July 11 comeback at UFC 329, where he faces Max Holloway in a rematch. The two legends debated what truly made McGregor the sport's biggest draw during a recent episode of The GSP Podcast, with their conversation highlighting the intersection of skill and charisma in modern MMA.

St-Pierre credited McGregor's success to his unique ability to stir emotion in audiences. "Fights are promoted by emotion," the welterweight icon explained, noting that many fans connect to fighters through personality and narrative rather than pure technical appreciation. "Conor was very skilled, but what makes him the most popular fighter of all time is his talking, his ability" to captivate viewers. St-Pierre emphasized that McGregor's skill was real—comparing his left hand to a sniper's precision—but it was his charisma that transcended the sport and made him impossible to ignore. "You couldn't look at Conor and be like, 'I don't care.' It's either you love him, you want to see him win, or you want to see him lose."

Demetrious Johnson, meanwhile, was drawn to McGregor's technical arsenal first. Johnson highlighted McGregor's footwork, hand speed, and southpaw cross as the core of his appeal, with the trash talk serving as merely the finishing touch. "It attracts the masses, but for me what attracted me to Conor was his skill set," Johnson noted, recalling McGregor's technical dominance against Diego Brandao and other opponents.

McGregor, 37, returns after a five-year absence marked by two consecutive losses to Dustin Poirier and a broken leg. In his prime, he captured UFC titles at 155 and 145 pounds, defeating Jose Aldo, Eddie Alvarez, Chad Mendes, Nate Diaz, and Donald Cerrone among others. His comeback will unfold under the spotlight of the UFC's International Fight Week, with fans eager to see whether his skills have withstood the extended layoff.