Kobe Bryant just praised the hell out of Conor McGregor -- saying the UFC fighter is an absolute "animal" ... who's a "genius" in the octagon.

The Mamba was in NYC to promote his Body Armor sports drink at an event that included UFC stars like Cody Garbrandt, Dana White and Francis Ngannou ... when the topic turned to Conor.

"Conor's an animal, bro," Kobe said ... "I think his personality, I think his temperament, I think his style, on top of the genius nature in which he fights gives him a great opportunity to really propel the league to another level."

"I love everything about Conor."