Critics and skeptics of Conor McGregor’s UFC 196 welterweight performance have blamed the weight gain on the Irish superstar’s loss, but at least one man is saying “what weight gain?”
According to McGregor’s strength and conditioning coach, John Connor, the “Notorious” loss had little to nothing to do with his weight, and that McGregor weighed pretty much what he always does.
“Conor fought at the weight that he walks around at – always,” said Connor during a recent appearance on The Manual podcast (transcribed by Seamus Raferty of PunditArena.com).
“We did more fitness work for this because we could. Because he was so tight at the weight for 145, we always had to be careful what we did because we couldn’t do too much. Because we didn’t want him putting on size, because it just makes it harder to get down there. He was at his peak condition going into that fight”.
According to Connor, McGregor really began his transformation into his current physique after sustaining an injury to his ACL against Max Holloway in 2013. That’s when the Irish fighter got into movement, strength and conditioning.
“And if you look at his body – his body has transformed a lot since then. And his big thing is that, you look at, his arse is bigger, which is more power, his hamstrings are a lot bigger, and his lower back is a lot bigger.”
When McGregor fought Diego Brandao a year later in Dublin, Ireland, McGregor was the biggest he’d ever been. Connor says he’s been at that weight ever since, give a pound (kilogram) or two.
“So, he weighed in at 168 [prior to UFC 196]. So you’re talking 76 kilos. He was probably 1 or 2 kilos heavier than he was fighting in Dublin, fighting in Boston, fighting in Vegas against Poirier, I wasn’t there for July against Mendes so I don’t know, Aldo again it was probably the same. So he was only 1 and a half, maybe 2 kilos heavier than he was in those other fights”.
UFC president Dana White has repeatedly credited McGregor for jumping up two weight classes to fight Nate Diaz last weekend, but as you can hear from this strength and conditioning coach, he didn’t really go up in weight at all. He simply didn’t cut the water weight and rehydrate it 24 hours later.
The most interesting thing about all of this is Connor’s statement that “Mystic Mac” was in great physical condition, despite the fact he looked a little “gassed out” in the second round, something the Frankie Edgar camp has picked up on.
Gassy? Or Stockton slapped? You decide.