Conor McGregor accused of "manipulating" his way to UFC world titles

Mikel Arteta reviews Liverpool defeat

Conor McGregor talks Jake Paul, sparring return and UFC title aspirations

Arsenal v Liverpool: Pictures

Lille v Chelsea: Pictures

Ralf Rangnick reviews Atletico Madrid defeat

Mikel Arteta on reasons behind Arsenal's excellent form

Conor McGregor has been told he "manipulated" his way to UFC world titles by fellow ex-double champion Henry Cejudo.

McGregor, a former lightweight and featherweight world champion, won the 145lb title by defeating Jose Aldo in just 13 seconds in 2015, and within a year had taken Eddie Alvarez's 155lb strap. But he never defended either title and since leaving MMA to take on Floyd Mayweather in a massive crossover boxing match, he has gone 1-3 in the octagon.

And Cejudo, who himself was champion at flyweight and bantamweight before retiring in 2020 after a dispute with the UFC, believes McGregor he was never at the elite level. He argues the Irishman managed to get himself into place to win belts, but has lost the "juice" that earned him the nickname "Mystic Mac" for his eerily accurate fight predictions.

" Conor McGregor at that time in 2016, he did walk the talk," Cejudo said during his podcast with The Schmo in response to an old tweet of his where he praised the Irishman's ability to bring his predictions to life. "Everything that he was saying, it was happening. But guess what man, his persona's over. He is not that dude no more.

"Like people know that it's just an act, he doesn't have that juice no more. So to me captain, he's just a dude that at one point was able to manipulate himself to world titles and people bought into it, he was able to use his hands. But once people realised that the front leg is there and started chewing that thing up,