Conor McGregor “was back when he fought Jose Aldo but at a heavier weight,” Stephen Thompson reveals, as the former UFC star warns Michael Chandler he’s up against a “scary” prospect who’s “returned to his roots” before of his future fight.
- McGregor and Chandler to face each other after filming ‘The Ultimate Fighter’
- Thompson has worked with McGregor on the show to help train the students.
- The Irishman has not fought since breaking his leg against Dustin Poirier in 2021
Conor McGregor has changed his fighting style after ‘listening to the fans’, according to Stephen Thompson.
McGregor is set to return to the Octagon in a fight against Michael Chandler when the two finish training on the reality series ‘The Ultimate Fighter.’
Although many have called the fight a mismatch, McGregor has been training ahead of the eventual fight.
During ‘The Ultimate Fighter,’ McGregor brought in former UFC star Stephen Thompson to help train his students, with the former welterweight champion discussing McGregor’s form.
McGregor, who hasn’t fought in the UFC since losing to Dustin Poirier in 2021, has returned to a more striking-focused approach rather than a boxing method, according to Thompson.
Conor McGregor is said to have changed his fighting style after hearing from fans
McGregor is set to have his comeback fight against Michael Chandler (right) after the two wrap up filming ‘The Ultimate Fighter’
Stephen Thompson (right) has been working with McGregor on the reality show.
thompson said presentation radius: ‘Man, for one thing, for someone to come out of an injury like that, this guy, his mentality was like it didn’t even happen.
And he is going back to his roots. He has never practiced karate in his life, but he has trained with many karate fighters and that is where he got that move from.
‘For example, when he fought José Aldo, his movement, his wide stance, his speed was on point.
“He’s back to that with a heavier weight, which is scary. I think she has listened to the fans. His last two fights with Poirier were kind of a boxer mentality.
“He’s got to go back to his movement roots, and that’s what we’ll see from Conor the next time he comes out.”
McGregor has not fought since breaking his leg against Dustin Poirier in July 2021
McGregor was also dubbed a “great trainer” by Thompson for his work on “The Ultimate Fighter.”
“He cares a lot about his guys,” said the 40-year-old. He is a great trainer.
‘And that’s fun to watch and see, because me coming from that, that’s what I do for a living.
“And to be able to see Conor share that… I’ve seen a lot of guys teach, and you can tell very quickly that they don’t care.”