Whether you love him or hate him, Conor McGregor has been a force to be reckoned with since he made his UFC debut in April 2013. In the decade that has passed, his rise to the top of the Mixed Martial Arts world – as well as to the top of the Forbes 100 Athletes list – has been nothing short of meteoric. The Netflix documentary McGregor Forever provides us with a behind-the-scenes look into a four-fight stretch of his career which, at this point, is more likely the beginning of the end for McGregor.
From the moment he captured the national spotlight in 2013 to his double-champion status in 2016, McGregor has been a bastion of self-confidence and bravado. It’s the reason he is so beloved, and so criticized. He was unbeatable inside and outside of the ring, equally comfortable with either an MMA glove or a microphone. Yet after suffering his first loss in the UFC to Nate Diaz, as well as his unprecedented boxing match with Floyd Mayweather Jr., the luster of McGregor’s aura began to dim ever so slightly.
McGregor Forever picks up here. Instead of the Conor McGregor dripping with cockiness and self-confidence, we witness the confusion of an athlete who is trying to make sense of a new feeling: self-doubt. Like a child who hasn’t been given the tools to process new experiences, we see McGregor cycle through life philosophies and generic aphorisms, trying them on like he’s in the dressing room of The Gap.
In the first episode, after yet another loss, this time to his biggest rival, Khabib Nurmagomedov, McGregor performs community service at a local church in Brooklyn, New York, and he is fascinated by the “mantras” he sees. “I’m coming across mad stuff in this church, eh?… Listen to this one,” he says. He opens the church bulletin and reads, “Walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called.” He conveniently leaves out the preamble of that verse from Ephesians 4:1 that starts, “As a prisoner for the Lord….”
This scene represents a greater phenomenon within our neo-spiritual culture where we get to pick and choose bits of wisdom literature from all faiths to create a worldview and philosophy that best suits the lifestyle we desire for ourselves. It speaks to the temptation to craft a Lego-religion that is devoid of the real pillars of Christianity: community, accountability, and self-sacrifice.
McGregor Forever is a delight for any fan of mixed-martial arts, but for the Christian viewer it is yet another alarming reminder to resist the constant temptation to craft our faith according to our own image and likeness. (Netflix, Rated TV-MA for violence and strong language)
About the Author
Daniel Jung is a graduate of Calvin Theological Seminary and an ordained pastor in the Presbyterian Church in America. He lives in Northern California, where he serves as an associate pastor at Home of Christ in Cupertino.