Conor McGregor Would Be Perfect Fit for WWE's World of Over-the-Top Excess

Amid the pageantry, the bombast, the garishness of WWE, Conor McGregor would feel as at home as he is in his native Ireland. 

The UFC featherweight and lightweight champion is armed with the kind of bravado and charisma that is required of pro wrestling's elite. He is a fascinating figure, a potential crossover star the likes of which WWE hasn't seen since Mike Tyson.

If McGregor ever tires of ruling MMA, WWE would be waiting for him with open arms and a blank check.

When the loudmouth Irishman defeated Eddie Alvarez for the lightweight title at UFC 205 in Madison Square Garden on Nov. 12, WWE executive and Superstar Triple H was in attendance.

McGregor strutted down to the Octagon in a building that was once WWE's home base to the sound of "Foggy Dew" with his fist in the air—cocksure, focused, captivating. Triple H had to be salivating at the idea of this knockout artist switching mediums.

On the subject of McGregor potentially working with WWE, The Game told Gareth A Davies of The Telegraph, "He could come over, he's got it all, man—he's got the personality, the skills, the talk. He's an entertainer, for sure."

After the fight, McGregor added further proof. He turned the often banal post-bout interview format into must-see entertainment.

The double champ called for someone to bring him his new title belt. He cursed. He joked. He issued more trash talk.

"If you come in here any way equal to me, I'm going to rip your whole head off. Eddie's a solid competitor. Eddie's a warrior, but he shouldn't have been in here with me." he told Joe Rogan in the Octagon.

Rogan then asked what's next for the Irish sensation.

Would he try to defend both titles? Would he focus on reigning over the lightweight division?

There has been much talk about McGregor facing boxer Floyd Mayweather in a dream collision between two sports. Many experts believe that bout will never happen. 

WWE may not be able to offer him the $100 million he is looking for, but the squared circle is a better fit for him than the boxing ring.

The most recognizable name in MMA today acts and sounds like a pro wrestler. 

McGregor has studied animals, as he noted in a 2015 interview with CNN's Rachel Nichols, to emulate them in fights. But it's clear that he has also been a longtime student of the Ric Flair school of swagger.

He spits hyperbole regularly. He boastfully dismisses his opponents. And he does so with the style and panache that made Flair such a star.

Bleacher Report's Jonathan Snowden, author of Total MMA, has long compared the two men:

"

Conor McGregor is, at heart, a Ric Flair knockoff. Kind of like MMA is but a shadow of pro wrestling. pic.twitter.com/xNWLZDdtpO

— Jonathan Snowden (@JESnowden) July 12, 2015"

And like Flair, he has mastered the art of selling a fight through mic work. A McGregor press conference is always an event.

His insults are worthy of a WWE feud. His confidence is apt for a heel. His fashion sense seemingly emulates the likes of Nick Bockwinkel, The Nature Boy or The Miz.

He's not 5'9"; he's larger than life. He's not merely a fighter, but a megastar. 

His claims of being the greatest ever are straight from the pro wrestling playbook. His loudness, sharp tongue and turned-up personality are essential elements in the mat game.

He even has WWE owner Vince McMahon's walk down pat:

The question is not whether WWE wants McGregor, though, but the reverse. He has a history of deriding wrestlers, of mocking their industry.  

When he received flack for firing off against WWE in an August conference call, he only dug in his heels:

There's also the issue of financial incentive. The Mayweather circus match would earn a massive payday. WWE could offer a nice stack of cash, but nothing like what he would receive for that.

And as Fighting Spirit Magazine writer Justin Henry noted, it's not as if McGregor is hurting for money right now:

Still, you can't blame WWE fans for dreaming up scenarios where he clashes with Finn Balor or crosses paths with Seth Rollins. You can't blame Triple H for making sure McGregor knows the door is always open for him.

Each time he barks at an opponent, tattoos spread across his puffed-out chest, McGregor embodies WWE, even if he never steps foot in a wrestling ring.