Joe Rogan reflected on Conor McGregor’s unprecedented rise and fall as one of the UFC’s all-time great athletes.

Conor McGregor is one of the most important figures in UFC history and is arguably the biggest pay-per-view superstar in fighting. He’s taken massive risks in and out of the Octagon and has cemented himself as one of the highest-earning athletes in the world.

McGregor, who hasn’t fought in the Octagon since a loss to Dustin Poirier at UFC 264, was supposed to return at UFC 303 before suffering an injury. As of this writing, McGregor’s UFC future is uncertain, despite a familiar foe calling him out at UFC 309.

Before his recent UFC struggles, McGregor at one point topped the UFC’s pound-for-pound list after earning two divisional championships. His earlier success coined the term ‘champ-champ’, a nod to his title wins at lightweight and featherweight.

Now, McGregor has lost three of his last four UFC fights, and many wonder whether or not he’ll win another MMA fight before he retires. Rogan, an admirer of McGregor’s rapid rise to the top of the UFC, believes fame and fortune were centerpieces in the Irish superstar’s downfall.

Joe Rogan: ‘Money fight’ led to Conor McGregor’s dark descent
In a recent episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, Rogan opined on McGregor’s recent struggles.

“Conor self-destructed in a lot of ways because of money,” Rogan said. “He took that fight with Floyd Mayweather, made a ton of money off that, and then took a long time before he came back to MMA—and he’s just not been the same guy since.

“I think that’s just money, it’s a lot of partying, but it’s the same kind of thing. It’s just wild. But when Conor was in his prime, he was a f***ing assassin.” (h/t MiddleEasy)

McGregor and Boxing Hall of Famer Floyd Mayweather Jr. fought in the infamous ‘money fight’ in 2017. It was McGregor’s professional boxing debut, and despite an impressive start, he lost to Mayweather by TKO.