Conor McGregor compared to Muhammad Ali by Mike Tyson's former coach

Teddy Atlas, who previously coached Mike Tyson, has compared Conor McGregor to Muhammad Ali - as he dubbed the Irishman a "poineer" for his influence on the sport. The man known as "The Notorious" arguably established himself as the most recognizable figure in the promotion at the height of his career.

Now 36, the former two-division champion has not fought in nearly three years, having last stepped into the octagon back in 2021 against Dustin Poirier. McGregor sustained a broken leg during the second of these bouts as he fell to a second sucessive loss versus his rival.

The Dubliner is estimated to have earned $25.1 million from his time in the UFC, when purses and bonuses for fights are factored in, as per Parade. That figure makes controversial star the highest-earning fighter in the promotion's history, with coach Atlas having hailed him for his impact on the sport.

Comparing McGregor to boxing icon Ali, he explained the reasoning behind his assertion as he attributed part of his success to taking part in crossover events too. Speaking on his podcast, he said: "He brought the sport to a different level of paydays, much like Ali did in boxing.

"Crossing over with sports, Ali did that with [Antonio] Inoki, if my memory serves me correctly. Ali was in hospital for like a week with bloody clots in his legs, but he got $7million. $7million back then was unheard of, it was like if you got $100million [today].

Muhammad Ali revolutionized boxing during a glittering career in the ring (Image: Getty)

"I think Conor is that guy. You know, he’s been a pioneer in his sport. If this marks the end of him being that fighter in that world, with all the controversy and everything else, it shouldn’t be forgotten that he was once a great fighter and will continue to be one of the great promoters."

Clarifying his thoughts on the subject, Atlas paid tribute to Ali as he praised the late star for his wider impact on the sport of boxing outside of the ring. He continued: "I mentioned Ali, I don’t think it was a misstep on my part to put that name there for the reason I did.

"As a pioneer, Ali brought paydays to another level. So did Conor. And Ali was one of the greatest promoters – if not the greatest – in sports of all time, and Conor is up there at that level."

With McGregor potentially heading for a crossover boxing bout with WWE star Logan Paul, former UFC fighter Brendan Schaub warned: "My only concern is if Conor doesn’t take it serious, if he kind of moseys in, he’s partying, I think he’ll get f----- up.

"Now, if it’s prime Conor, Logan might be get pieced up. At one point, you’ve got to give it to the Paul brothers; one fought Mike Tyson, the other is fighting Conor McGregor. No matter how you feel about it, it’s pretty cool."