UFC superstar Conor McGregor has been branded as "one of the most underrated fighters in the history of the sport" ahead of his return against Dustin Poirier at UFC 257.
That's according to Ariel Helwani, who defended the 32-year-old Irishman for his fighting skills inside the octagon.
Speaking on ESPN, the 38-year-old Canadian reporter told UFC legend Daniel Cormier that his praise was based on McGregor's "pure skills" and not for his fame or controversies.
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Helwani explained: "If you strip away everything, just talking about the fighter.
"I'm not talking about the layoffs, I'm not talking about the controversy, I'm not talking about the fame. Just the fighter.
"Listen to me now, I think that Conor McGregor is one of the most underrated fighters in the history of the sport. He does not get the credit he deserves for how good he is.
"As a fighter, not the hoopla. I'm just on about his skills, his pure skills."
Helwani's comments caused a backlash from many MMA fans on Twitter, with one calling McGregor the "most overrated fighter of all time."
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One Twitter user argued: "It's the other way around, he is skilled in some and poor in other, he is overrated."
A second fan posted: "He's the most overrated fighter of all time. Hasn't beat a top contender in years & never defended a belt."
While a third tweeted: "He is so underrated to the point where I can say with at most confidence that he has a chance against Logan Paul. Hell, I think he can win one or two rounds if they fought."
And a fourth fan said: "That's his fault for being inactive. LMFAO. That happens with not being active."
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Helwani later took to Twitter to defend his bold comments on McGregor by once again reiterating that he was talking purely about his skills.
"I 100% stand by this. He doesn't get enough credit for his SKILLS because he is so polarizing. The haters will say otherwise but it's true," he tweeted.
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McGregor has already wasted no time in calling out fierce rival Khabib Nurmagomedov, saying that the Russian star is "afraid to fight me."
Featured Image Credit: YouTube/ESPNTopics: Conor Mcgregor, Notorious, UFC News, MMA News, Ariel Helwani, UFC, MMA