Video: Check out previously unseen footage of Conor McGregor's final pre-UFC bout

Even before he got to the UFC and became one of the organization’s most recognizable stars, Conor McGregor was turning heads as a two-division champ with Cage Warriors.

Tonight, UFC featherweight champion McGregor (19-2 MMA, 7-0 UFC) moves up to welterweight for a UFC 196 pay-per-view headliner against Nate Diaz (18-10 MMA, 13-8 UFC) in Las Vegas. Ahead of the non-title bout, Cage Warriors has recently previously unseen footage of the fight that sent McGregor to the UFC.

Even before his UFC deal, McGregor was making bold predictions and promising in-cage theatrics. In December 2012 at Cage Warriors 51, in the Irishman’s hometown of Dublin, McGregor talked the talk and then walked the walk with a crushing first-round knockout of Ivan Buchinger.

With the masterful win, featherweight champ McGregor added a lightweight strap to his Cage Warriors collection. He’s now looking to add multiple UFC titles to his stash.

Check out the above video to see how it all came together in his Cage Warriors finale.

And catch Cage Warriors, one of Europe’s most prominent organizations and talent developers, back in action on April 15, when Cage Warriors 75 takes place in London.

And for more on UFC 196, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.

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