Conor McGregor the best version of himself ahead of UFC 257 rematch with Dustin Poirier on Fight Island, says coach
CONOR MCGREGOR is the best he’s ever been ahead of his eagerly-anticipated return to the UFC, according to his head coach John Kavanagh.
‘The Notorious’ will return to the octagon in the early hours of Sunday morning for a blockbuster rematch with former featherweight rival Dustin Poirier, which will headline UFC 257 in Abu Dhabi.
McGregor, 32, hasn’t fought since his 40-second demolition of future hall-of-famer Donald Cerrone last January.
But Kavanagh insists the Irishman is twice the fighter he was then, telling SunSport: “He wanted to go into this fight a version that would destroy the guy that fought Cowboy.
“And I think he’s achieved that. So the fact that it’s Dustin in front of him doesn’t matter.
“If he fell off and suddenly it’s Michael Chandler or it’s Dan Hooker or whoever they brought, it’s not going to change things all too much.”
McGregor, the first fighter in UFC history to hold two belts simultaneously, KO’d Poirier in just under two minutes in their first clash in September 2014.
But the American, also 32, has come on leaps and bounds since being sparked by the pride of Dublin, winning ten of his last 13 and claiming the interim lightweight title.
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Kavanagh has seen improvements in ‘The Diamond’ but insists his game hasn’t drastically changed.
The Straight Blast Gym Ireland chief said: “I think fundamentally he’s the same style of fighter. That hasn’t changed hugely.
“It’s not like he’s gone on a run of taking guys down and submitting them lately. It’s still a lot of pressure, he’s got that good southpaw boxing style.
“Maybe a couple of changes in how he holds his hands and such. But that’s giving away a little bit too much. But I think he’s fundamentally still the similar fighter that he was all those years ago.
“But now, he’s more experienced, bigger, more mature, I’m sure he’s able to control his emotions better now. So for all those reasons, it’s going to be a very interesting rematch.”
Kavanagh reckons fan favourite Poirier will find it impossible to forget about his brutal loss to Ireland’s first UFC champion, adding: “It’s certainly be on his mind.
“And to give a little insight: I thought it was interesting that his prediction of the fight was that he would be hurt and bloody within one minute. And I agree with him.”
McGregor‘s clash with Poirier will mark his long-awaited return to the UFC’s talent-rich lightweight division, which he hasn’t fought in for over two years.
And Kavanagh is hoping the fight will kickstart a long run at 155lbs, saying: “I think it’s the Goldilocks weight. Not too little, not too much. It’s the goldilocks weight.
Kavanagh reckons fan favourite Poirier will find it impossible to forget about his brutal loss to Ireland’s first UFC champion, adding: “It’s certainly be on his mind.
“And to give a little insight: I thought it was interesting that his prediction of the fight was that he would be hurt and bloody within one minute. And I agree with him.”
McGregor’s clash with Poirier will mark his long-awaited return to the UFC’s talent-rich lightweight division, which he hasn’t fought in for over two years.
And Kavanagh is hoping the fight will kickstart a long run at 155lbs, saying: “I think it’s the Goldilocks weight. Not too little, not too much. It’s the goldilocks weight.
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“He seems to be designed for that weight class. So of course as a trainer, as a fan, I would love him to be in there every second month for the year.”
A confident McGregor has vowed to end Poirier’s night in under a minute, a prediction Kavanagh believes will come true.
He said: “I think it’s decided in the first minute. Like the Eddie Alvarez fight, although that went into the second round.
“But we all knew what was going to happen within a minute. Dustin himself says he wants to be bloody and hurt in the first minute, he will be.”
BT Sport Box Office will show UFC 257: Poirier vs. McGregor 2 exclusively live from 3am on Saturday 23rd January. UFC 257 can be watched on BT TV, Virgin TV, Sky, online via the web or the BT Sport Box Office App and is available to buy at www.bt.com/sportboxoffice