At this year’s PMGO 6.0 virtual event, CEO Sergey Portnov sat down with Conor McGregor, MMA legend and Parimatch ambassador, to find out more about the man outside the UFC Octagon – the entrepreneur, the family man, the human being. Conor gave insights into his personal life which he rarely shares with the public, and showed us the mindset which makes him a champion.
Without question, this year has brought significant difficulty on many levels. Lives have been changed, businesses have shut down and human connection has been replaced by online conversations as the coronavirus pandemic has turned the world we once knew on its head.
When faced with his own challenges, whether in sport or in business, Conor maintains that he is an optimist, and that opportunity can be found even when faced with the toughest adversity. “There’s always an opportunity to adapt. All business sectors are being forced to look at their ways and evolve, and that’s only a good thing. I look at this year as an opportunistic year, there’s a lot of things moving and shaking, and you best believe that through this situation we are faced with, you will see some amazing, highly intuitive things take place.”
As prominent businessmen in their fields, Sergey and Conor share the belief that it’s impossible to achieve true success without a tenacious, adaptable mindset. The next generation of leaders will need this positive mental attitude to dismantle the barriers presented before them. Everything starts with the mind, and as Conor explains – “the rest of it comes through work ethic, through fighting through the doubts and the storm, so to speak, and other people’s doubts upon you. This strengthens your own mind and then you’ll break through and succeed.”
However, big achievements don’t just come down to your psychological approach to them. Positive self-affirmation and being honest with yourself, like acknowledging your weaknesses and making plans to improve on them, will ultimately make you stronger. Conor’s all about simplifying it down – not overcomplicating or overthinking the process. He told Sergey how he practices self-control and discipline as powerful tools towards conquering the challenges which have previously caused him defeat in the UFC ring or personal issues elsewhere – “I must bring it back to the basics. I must look after my rest. I must look after my nutrition. I must treat my body and my mind like a temple, and then everything else falls into place.” Both men agree that healthy routines and consistent self-development can boost both athletic ability and business acumen.
With any career path chosen, it is important to have a solid starting point before working your way to the top. Conor accepts that “you can’t build something on an unstable foundation… it’s a hard fall when things start to crumble.” Likewise, in sport as in business, one knock-out does not always mean that you’re out for the count. You can’t give up and be passive in the pursuit of excellence, you’ve got to work for success and sustain your focus – “I’m fully committed to being the best version of myself – onwards and upwards we go”, explained Conor.
Although Conor retired from UFC earlier this year, it’s clear he has no plans to slow down. As a father of two, an owner of multiple businesses and a Parimatch ambassador, he chooses to only give his energy to the things which really mean something to him. As PMGO 6.0 drew to a close, Conor told Sergey: “I highly admire Parimatch. I’ve had great work with yourself, I have a very close relationship with yourself and it’s beyond anything, even business. I admire how you carry yourself and I admire the traits you have within yourself. I admire your empathy, your calmness and your passion.”
