Conor McGregor’s ‘Billionaire Strut’ was inspired by a WWE legend.
Conor McGregor is known for wild finishes, pre-fight trash talk, and his ascent to the biggest pay-per-view draw in UFC history. After making a massive fortune with his performances in the Octagon, McGregor made it a significant part of his UFC walkouts beginning at UFC 205.
McGregor’s coined ‘Billionaire Strut’ debuted as McGregor made the walk to the Octagon as he vied for ‘champ-champ’ status at UFC 205. He defeated UFC lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez in the main event to make history as the promotion’s first simultaneous two-division titleholder.
McGregor went on to utilize the strut in the leadup to fights with Khabib Nurmagomedov, Donald Cerrone, and Dustin Poirier throughout his career. Fans were in awe of McGregor’s swagger when he first introduced his signature cage walk, but not many fans and pundits know the story behind it.
The roots of Conor McGregor’s ‘Billionaire Strut’ linked to WWE legend
It turns out that McGregor’s infamous strut came from former WWE headman Vince McMahon.
“I perfected it. Vince is a legend. I love Vince. Vince McMahon is a mad b**tard, he’s a mad man,” McGregor said in a 2017 interview with Fight Hub TV. (h/t SportsKeeda)
McMahon made the strut part of his persona during his long career as the main promoter of WWE. No one copied McMahon during his stint until McGregor did a spin-off on it at UFC 205.
Several top UFC fighters, including McGregor’s fellow countryman Ian Machado Garry, have nodded to the ‘billionaire strut’ in recent years. It’s also been used as a touchdown celebration by several players in the NFL.
Conor McGregor in preliminary talks to fight one of the Paul brothers
McGregor hasn’t competed in the Octagon since a doctor’s stoppage loss to Poirier at UFC 264. He’s targeting a late-2025 comeback against a to-be-determined opponent.
McGregor has also been in recent discussions to face either Jake or Logan Paul in a boxing match next year in India, sometime in the summer. While nothing is official as of this writing, both Paul brothers are linked to the potential McGregor fight, as McGregor seemed to confirm in a series of social media posts.
While McGregor has had some late struggles in the UFC, he remains the biggest superstar in the promotion’s history. His infamous ‘billionaire strut’ captured the aura of McGregor’s fighting prime.