Ranking 5 best wins of McGregor's UFC career

As we get closer to Conor McGregor's rematch with Dustin Poirier at UFC 257 on Jan. 23, let's look back on his five best performances in the Octagon to date.

5. Chad Mendes, 2nd-round TKO

Event: UFC 189
Date: July 11, 2015

Many people considered this to be McGregor's first real test as Mendes was a serious threat in the wrestling department. "The Notorious" faced some early adversity in the form of takedowns and ground-and-pound, but he turned the tide with a minute left in the second round. McGregor returned to his feet and pummeled a tiring Mendes with shots up against the fence until a left hand put Mendes down for good. With the victory, the budding star earned the interim featherweight title and set up a long-awaited showdown with Jose Aldo.

4. Donald Cerrone, 1st-round TKO

Event: UFC 246
Date: Jan. 18, 2020

McGregor wasted no time in his return from a 15-month layoff following his devastating loss to Khabib Nurmagomedov. The Irishman came out firing on all cylinders in the first main event of 2020, and it quickly became clear that he was too much for Cerrone. McGregor overwhelmed "Cowboy" with an array of strikes before putting him away 40 seconds into the contest. This performance served as a reminder that McGregor was still an elite fighter despite his inactivity.

3. Dustin Poirier, 1st-round TKO

Event: UFC 178
Date: Sept. 27, 2014

After winning three straight fights to kick off his UFC career, McGregor got a big step up in competition against Poirier, the No. 5-ranked featherweight at the time. There was a lot of bad blood between Poirier and McGregor. However, McGregor crumpled "The Diamond" with a vicious left hand less than two minutes into the fight, making good on his promise of a first-round stoppage while earning his most impressive win by far at that point.

2. Jose Aldo, 1st-round KO

Event: UFC 194
Date: Dec. 12, 2015

Not only did McGregor do the unthinkable and take away Aldo's featherweight title, but he also finished the all-time great in 13 seconds. The Irishman broke Ronda Rousey's record for quickest finish in a UFC title fight, and it came against a man who hadn't lost in over a decade. This remarkable win cemented McGregor as the sport's most popular fighter and led to his bid for a second belt. It'll be at the top of McGregor's highlight reel for the rest of time.

1. Eddie Alvarez, 2nd-round TKO

Event: UFC 205
Date: Nov. 12, 2016

McGregor had the performance of a lifetime in the UFC's long-awaited debut at Madison Square Garden. He dominated Alvarez from start to finish, showing off his wide array of tools in the stand-up department. The Irishman landed combination after combination. Truth be told, Alvarez didn't stand a chance. McGregor dropped him for good in the second round to become the first simultaneous two-division champion in UFC history.

In hindsight, this was McGregor at his peak. He's never had a cleaner performance, especially against someone of Alvarez's caliber. The victory skyrocketed McGregor to new heights and led to a boxing match with former world champion Floyd Mayweather.