Conor McGregor believes he has the best ground and pound in the sport.
Conor McGregor might not be known for his wrestling, but ‘The Notorious’ believes he has some of the best ground and pound in MMA.
McGregor took to social media on Wednesday where he bragged about the accuracy of his ‘vertical striking’ from the ground.
“I’ve the best ground and pound in the game,” McGregor wrote on Instagram. “My highest percentage of finishes does not actually come from my standing horizontal back hand, like most assume. My highest percentage of finishing wins actually come from the accuracy of my vertical punching (you are all novices vertical striking. Arm hitters. Ask ref to stop it hitters. Fall over on yourself hitters).
“I don’t miss [ground and pound]. I do not hit arms. I do not fall in. I hit soft face, head and skull.”
McGregor has finished the bulk of his fights on the ground but the Irishman rarely shoots for the takedown as most of his best work comes from the feet.
MMA Fighting’s Damon Martin saliently points out that McGregor has scored just five takedowns in his UFC career with four of those coming in his featherweight bout against Max Holloway when he suffered a torn ACL in the second round.
So, what about those finishes from top position? McGregor does possess lethal ground strikes but his ground and pound only become a factor after he has dropped his opponent on the feet.
McGregor is currently recovering from a gruesome leg injury suffered in his trilogy fight against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 and is expected to return to the Octagon sometime later this year.