Conor McGregor on Muhammad Ali Comparisons: 'I Am Not Anywhere Close'

Although MMA star Conor McGregor is usually ready to take any compliment thrown his way, he won't compare himself to Muhammad Ali even though UFC President Dana White did so recently.

McGregor was humble when he discussed the situation with Megan Olivi on The Exchange:

"I always appreciate the comparison. I'm quick to say I am not anywhere close to Muhammad Ali," he said (h/t Simon Samano of MMAjunkie). "That was a special man. I am just a simple, young kid from Crumlin, Dublin, Ireland. And I'm here looking for a fight."

One of the first notable comparisons came from Ali's daughter Rasheda before the August 2017 boxing match between McGregor and Floyd Mayweather Jr. She said the Irish fighter was a lot like Ali because "their personality, their charm and their wit were very similar," via Olivi:

White continued the praise of McGregor by noting his elite trash-talking ability last month at the UFC 229 press conference.

"Conor McGregor is the master of mental warfare," White said, per Abbey Subhan and Ken Hathaway of MMAjunkie. "I've said it before, and I'll say it again: He's better than anybody. Even [Muhammad] Ali. You don't want to say anybody's better than Ali, but I think when it comes to the mental war game in this sport, or any other sport, Conor McGregor is the best ever."

McGregor had already been one of the biggest stars in the UFC but became more of a household name when he took on Mayweather. He is set to make his return to mixed martial arts Saturday in a battle for the lightweight title against Khabib Nurmagomedov in Las Vegas.