McGregor Forever is a Netflix Docu-series revolving around former lightweight and featherweight UFC champion Conor McGregor. It takes us through the aftermath of the Floyd Mayweather & Khabib Nurmagomedov matches all the way till his third fight with Dustin Diamond Poirier. The camera crew follows Conor through an arc of maturity which is shadowed by his eventual defeat and loss. This docu-series has four episodes total, with each clocking in at around an hour. Does the documentary manage to entertain while giving us a look at Conor's evolution? Or does it glorify the foul-mouthed Irishman? That is what we'll see in today's review.
Firstly, It is very evident that Conor is a legend for UFC. He has been the face of it for as long as I can remember and has amassed a following unlike any other. So obviously this docu-series is going to be on many people's watch list. I hadn't really known much about UFC or Conor's legacy in it before I hopped into this series and did my research after finishing it, but even then I still knew the name and the infamous battles that he has had. That comes to show that he really is a household name and has done it all.
This series tries to give us an internal look at McGregor. For someone like me who had only seen him extrinsically through his conference antics or post-match affairs, I have to say that the show really did bring out another element to the man. The documentary starts off with the first episode showing a Conor who has been on the edge, unhinged in trash talk, and extremely disrespectful. This is right before he is going to face off with Khabib Nurmagomedov. This sets up an excellent juxtaposition with the rest of the series as we watch Conor really evolve during the next 2-3 years.
I have to say that I enjoyed the documentary to a huge extent. It was actually pretty interesting and involving. The documentary is structured in a way that there is a countdown before major events such as the Khabib fight or the Dustin fight, showing Conor sweating it out and working on his mindset. It really works well as the fight night sequences compile a neat highlight reel of matches that are so intense to watch even after you know the outcome. Conor is definitely the best part of the series. He is charismatic and inspiring at times while being an absolute menace the other times. The way the show works his maturity up through the second and third episodes only for the final meltdown is a bit of a letdown, but then again that is what happened in real life.
Whatever it is, the series is well paced and McGregor is very entertaining on screen. His constant desire to be better and work harder through adversity is something seen only in the best athletes. The series does tend to glorify that aspect of him a bit and downplays how ridiculous he can get at times but it is still fair to be quite honest. His older recordings which flash from point to point really draw in the fact that he worked for where he was. He knew going in that he wanted to be a champion and that he was capable of it. I remember the initial clips of the series has a feature of him during his debut season. Where he talks about his work ethic. His predictions about his success are all true, and it swells up the heart with emotion.
The series, however, focuses more on the fading part of his career. It reminds me of stars like Cristiano Ronaldo & Eden Hazard, who were once at the top of their game but are now mere shadows of their past selves. Criticized by the media for living a lavish lifestyle that they worked for. It is a little sad but genuine.
Overall, I enjoyed the documentary till the very end. The destination of the docuseries isn't even half as fun as the journey, but it is still quite fun and keeps you around till the end of the 4 episodes.
Final Score – [7.5/10]
Reviewed by - Aayush Chaurasia
Follow @AayushC44 on Twitter
Publisher at Midgard Times