Conor McGregor convinced many people of his star potential with a first-round knockout of Dustin Poirier on Saturday at UFC 178, but no one more so than UFC President Dana White.

The outspoken Irishman has reeled off four consecutive wins to start his tenure with the organization, and he’s stopped three of those opponents in the first round. Most recently, McGregor (16-2 MMA, 4-0 UFC) validated himself as one of the top featherweights on the UFC roster when he stopped Poirier (16-3 MMA, 8-3 UFC) in less than two minutes on Saturday at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand Garden Arena.

McGregor’s evolution from relative unknown to can’t-miss prospect since his April 2013 UFC debut is unprecedented, White said. And after McGregor’s impressive finish (watch the McGregor vs. Poirier video highlights), the UFC boss said the fighter is a bigger draw for the company than two of its all-time highest pay-per-view sellers: former champs Brock Lesnar and Georges St-Pierre.

“Conor McGregor is the real deal – he is legit,” White said on FOX Sports 1’s post-UFC 178 show. “He is a force that I have never seen ever. Bigger than Brock Lesnar when he was here. Bigger than any of the fighters we’ve ever had. Yes, (he’s bigger than Georges St-Pierre). I’ve never seen anything like this.”

UFC 178 was one of the most anticipated fight cards of the year, and McGregor played a large role. His grudge match with Poirier was heavily promoted, and the outspoken McGregor took advantage of the opportunity.

The 26-year-old is Ireland’s most popular fighter and carried the support of his country into UFC 178. According to White, 10 percent of UFC 178 tickets were sold to fans from Ireland (watch them celebrate McGregor’s win).

Even though he’s still young in his UFC career, McGregor’s polarizing personality, high-level fighting skills and strong following lead White to believe they’ll have a lucrative future together.

That wasn’t always the case, though, and White said he had his doubts even heading into UFC 178.

“I’m a believer,” White said. “He did exactly what he said he was going to do. Did I think Conor was going to win? I had no idea. Did I think he was actually going to go out and stop Poirier in the first round? I did not.

“This whole Conor McGregor thing has been very fascinating to me. (When) I went over to Ireland, I received that award from Trinity College, and literally all I heard was Conor McGregor the whole time I was over there. I came back here and I was like, ‘Who the hell is this kid? Let’s get this kid signed.’ So we signed him and he came out to Las Vegas, and we went and ate and hung out a little bit. I told (UFC CEO) Lorenzo (Fertitta), ‘If this kid can even fight this much, this much, if he can even throw a punch, this kid is going to be (something special).’ It’s bigger than anything I’ve ever seen before. It’s crazy. It’s bigger than anything I’ve ever seen.”

White deemed UFC 178 a hugely successful event, and while the likes of UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson, Donald Cerrone and ex-titleholder Dominick Cruz were all on the card, he said he gives “all” the credit for that success to McGregor.

“Was a nation behind GSP when GSP started?” White asked. “Let me tell you this. We’re way over (projections for UFC 178). The numbers, Lorenzo and I were talking about it, and we contribute it all to Conor McGregor.”

For complete coverage of UFC 178, check out the UFC Events section of the site.