Conor McGregor was in typically imperious form last night at his pre-match press conference, tormenting opponent Nate Diaz and talking up his own greatness at every opportunity.

It’s what the Dublin fighter does and his fans love him for it.

But McGregor also retains an ability to surprise us and he did that last night when he refused to accept a very flattering comparison.

When an audience member compared him to Muhammad Ali, McGregor thanked him for the praise but dismissed any suggestion that they were on the same level.

“For me obviously, Muhammad Ali was probably the first combat sports star that I looked up to,” McGregor said. “I’d never seen anything like that and I was fascinated by him growing up.”

He continued: “But I cannot accept a comparison like that. Muhammed Ali was a special man. He done things that are unthinkable, he changed culture - period.

“But I am honoured to even be put in that bracket by some people, so thank you.”

[raw]

30 years from now, we will all look at Connor McGregor like we all do Muhammad Ali in the boxing world. #McGregorEra #Unstoppable

— Jeremiah Mundy (@jmundy33) March 2, 2016

Many fans may feel he deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as the boxing legend but, for the moment, that’s a step too far for Conor himself.

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H/T: Balls.ie