McGregor revelled in designer suits driving Rolls-Royces

Andy Murray marked reaching the summit of world tennis by beating big-serving American John Isner in three hard-fought sets in the BNP Paribas Masters final in Paris to secure his eighth ATP Tour title of the season.The 29-year-old Scot, already assured of the No. 1 spot for the first time in his career before Sundays 6-3 6-7 (4/7) 6-4 win against 6ft 10 in Isner, will now prepare for next weeks World Tour Finals at the O2 Arena in London.Murray will enter the season-ending showpiece event for the worlds top eight players 405 points ahead of Novak Djokovic, who had spent 122 consecutive weeks as No. 1 from July 2014 before his quarterfinal defeat in Paris to Marin Cilic.Im not so much thinking about finishing the year as world No. 1, Murray told Sky Sports after his victory over Isner in two hours and 18 minutes.I wanted to try and get there if possible, but I want to just play well at the O2.I feel like some of the years there Ive not played my best tennis, maybe not done myself justice, so I want to go and play good tennis.It doesnt guarantee winning against the best players in the world, but I dont want to finish the year on a bad note having not played well there.So Ill get a few days rest now and start preparing for that and hopefully finish well.Isner produced some inspired tennis, especially in the second set, but Murray was clinical, saving his best moments for the biggest points.The Briton clinched his only break points in the first and third sets at the first attempts to seal the 43rd tour-level title of his career and his 14th ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title.Murray paid tribute to his family and support team after his victory.To my team and all of my family, who are watching back home, this has been an incredible journey for me to get to the top of the rankings, I couldnt have done it without you, he said.Thanks to them for all their hard work. They make a lot of sacrifices to allow me to compete and travel the world.A big thank you to all of you and Ill keep working to keep getting better.Murray said he did not feel more nervous than usual after Milos Raonics withdrawal from their scheduled semifinal clash on Saturday due to a leg injury had seen the Scot overhaul Djokovic at the top of the rankings.I actually felt pretty good, he added. I was nervous before the match, I had a good practice this morning.I obviously wanted to come out and try and win this event. Ive never won here before.It was a tournament, before last year, that Id always struggled at. Id never got past the quarterfinals so I wanted to try and win and managed to and I want to keep going.Its been a great year and I want to try and finish it as well as I can. Leon Durham Cubs Jersey . The Masters champion and winner of last weeks Australian PGA has a three-round total of 14-under 199 at Royal Melbourne. "Im in a really good position for tomorrow," Scott said. Manny Trillo Jersey .2 billion agreement with Rogers Communications for the leagues broadcast and multimedia rights. https://www.cheapcubs.com/610t-shawon-dunston-jersey-cubs.html . Woodson said during a radio interview Thursday that the Knicks Carmelo Anthony doesnt get the same calls as other superstars. Dennis Eckersley Cubs Jersey . PETERSBURG, Fla. Jose Quintana Cubs Jersey . After Martin Skrtel put the Reds in front from close range at Stamford Bridge after only four minutes, Hazard hit back in the 17th with a superb strike. Etoo gave Jose Mourinhos team a decisive lead from Oscars back pass in the 34th.Conor McGregor and Ronda Rousey sat peerless as the unbeatable king and queen of the cage yet it is only now they have been exposed as mere civilians that they can prove their true greatness. The UFC hotshots carried their sport on their shoulders, jostling for all-time records and finishing foes in quicker and quicker times. Street artists painted overbearing murals of their likeness in OConnell Street and Venice Beach that looked protectively over the people of Dublin and California. But in recent times, McGregor and Rousey have been dealt harsh reminders that they have the same vulnerabilities as the rest of us.Their fearsome reputations have been shattered by defeat, McGregor last weekend and Rousey in November. It will be of little solace to be reminded that even iconic boxer Muhammad Ali was knocked off his pedestal and forced to clamber back up, making him greater than ever before. McGregor, 27, and Rousey, 29, have ample time to recover but their polar opposite relationship with the idea of defeat begs an interesting question as to the best method of dominating a sport. These things happen in MMA. I took a chance and it didnt work out. Conor McGregor Nobody knows what failure feels like more than I do and thats why Im the person who walks in there willing to die in order to win, Rousey dramatically stated days before losing her world time and undefeated record to Holly Holm. Her intense fear of failure drove her to the top, yet McGregor joined her at the pinnacle by embracing risk and reward. These things happen in MMA, he said last weekend after losing to Nate Diaz after voluntarily fighting 25lbs higher than usual. I took a chance and it didnt work out. But whose approach will see them re-emerge?They have both suffered crushing defeats prior to their UFC prime. Rousey, the daughter of Americas first judo world champion, followed her mothers sporting example but failed to win gold at the 2008 Olympics after a lifetime of preparation. Just two months earlier McGregor lost his third pro MMA fight by submission, a skill-set he previously had no interest in. That summer, two future fighting greats walked out of their respective gyms and slammed the door shut behind them. Ronda Rousey never accomplished her childhood dream of an Olympic gold He was only 20 when he lost the first time, McGregors striking coach Owen Roddy told Sky Sports. He went missing for a while, it was a hard loss for him. It was in Crumlin and there was a lot of support for him. He gave up training for nearly a year but then came back, realising he couldnt just go out with the lads.Rouseys Olympic coach Jimmy Pedro told Sky Sports: She was tired of judo, didnt want to grind for another four years before the next Olympics, and wanted something bigger. In judo she got a decent amount of wins by armbar but she couldnt do it to everyone. She wasnt a gold medal winner in every event. She never won the world championships. In the Olympics, she took a bronze once. But she wasnt dominating the major events. Nobody knows what failure feels like more than I do and thats why Im the person who walks in there willing to die in order to win. Ronda Rousey Perhaps a telling sign that McGregor and Rouseys fate would be to headline million-dollar Las Vegas events is the way they failed to adapt outside of the gym. The Irishman has told of his misery at waking up at dawn to work as a plumber, while Rouseys autobiography details difficulties as a barmaid whose Olympic medal was of little use. On opposite sides of the Atlantic, a pair of troublesome early-twentysomethings still hadnt found their calling. McGregor had to be begged back into the gym by concerned coaches, while Rouseys judo coach Pedro remembers she rebelled against her mother - she wasnt disciplined like she is today.Further significant setbacks would await both, years before their defeats on the UFC stage. McGregor eventually stumbled back into the Straight Blast Gym, where he still calls home, but lost another fight by submission in 2010. After his second loss he was more mature, said coach Roddy. He came back to the gym the following week to correct his mistakes. From then on, he was open to every aspect of the game. Anywhere he felt lacking, he focused all his time there. Instead of shying away he threw himself in att the deep end.dddddddddddd He went over to Iceland to train his ground game and came back more Zen. Conor McGregor (left) improved into a much better fighter after his second defeat There has never been anything Zen about the fierce Rousey who, around the same time as McGregors second loss, spent months grafting for acceptance at the Glendale Fighting Club who were skeptical of a woman in a mans world. Her first MMA fights were won at a canter, but at a time when women in the cage were consigned to the underground. Money remained tight for both McGregor and Rousey in those days but they believed, for different reasons, in a distant dream.My goal is to be the best version of myself that is possible - and the best version is the greatest fighter of all time, McGregor told Sky Sports in January 2015 after four UFC wins. When a guy like me comes along with the number of people that I bring with me, everyone else has to step aside. I feel like a veteran now. I have found comfort in this circus. I find comfort in the uncomfortable. Days after telling Sky Sports about his goal, McGregor beat Dennis Siver to set up a world title shot But Rousey never allowed herself to be comfortable, even after pioneering females in the UFC and becoming an undefeated, inaugural womens champion. While McGregor grew through the knowledge of defeat, Rousey was motivated by the horror of repeating her failures. There are only a few people who truly hate losing more than they enjoy winning, Rouseys ex-coach Pedro remembered. Two opposite approaches met in a cacophony of sporting triumph throughout 2014 and 2015, and the money and fame followed. Life was good at the top - Rousey was cast in multiple Hollywood blockbusters, McGregor revelled in designer suits driving Rolls-Royces. But when the cage locked, they could fight, and they reminded us frequently of their own brilliance.Ive endured the worst losses possible, Rousey said in November before fighting Holm. I lost the finals at the [judo] world championships when I wanted to be world champ like my mother. My dream since I was a little kid was to win at the Olympics and I failed twice. For every other girl in the division, its easier for them to lose and go home with a pay check. Ive lost enough in my life. That startling reality-check came after three previous opponents had lasted a total of 64 seconds. Rousey spoke about the ghosts of defeat prior to a KO loss to Holly Holm Rousey-Holm talking points Was it a fluke? What did we learn? Rousey lost by knockout to Holm and has retreated from public life ever since. The appearances in Hollywood were limited to one Saturday Night Live hosting gig, while criticism poured in from everybody from Donald Trump to Justin Bieber while she laid low. It seems typical that Rouseys defeat, amid her mothers criticism of her coach and a refusal to travel to the fight in Australia, seems catastrophic while McGregors last weekend feels like a bump in the road.McGregor has avoided castigation for refusing the pre-fight touch of gloves, while an identical act saw Rousey hammered by US Presidential candidate Trump. Perhaps Rouseys fear of failure strikes closer to home than the brave dice-rolling that led to McGregors loss.Their returns to the Octagon, as with their lives and careers, will follow different paths. The UFC have lost the two unbeatable, all-conquering machines that defined their sport but the humanisation of the beatable McGregor and Rousey makes their journeys to legendary status even more admirable. McGregor-Diaz talking points Did he bite off more than he could chew? Also See: McGregor-Diaz talking points Rousey-Holm talking points Rousey admits fear of defeat Diaz submits McGregor McGregor predicts greatness ' ' '