This Saturday in New York, UFC featherweight superstar Conor McGregor will have the opportunity to make UFC history as he aims to defeat lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez, and become the first ever simultaneous two-division UFC champion.
Ahead of the fight however, despite his dominance inside the Octagon, McGregor’s endurance and heart was questioned by Alvarez, who stated that he was not a championship level fighter. Alvarez cited McGregor’s UFC 196 fight with Nate Diaz, saying that McGregor gassed early in the fight, and that he will once again at UFC 205.
With that being said, McGregor has been focusing on his cardio in preparation for Alvarez. He spoke to Mirror.co.uk about his training camp, saying:
“In the first Diaz fight, I couldn’t last two rounds; my lactic acid filled and I couldn’t clear it. After the contest, I wasn’t sure what was going on; I was blaming absolutely everything, so this was the programme I went through.
“It’s a cardiovascular-based, scientifically-monitored programme. I learned about over-training; I used to work, work, work and I’d work myself into a brick wall.
“This training monitors the heart rate, and the test results, the lactate test results. I was able to train at certain zones and not over-train, it kept me training and it kept me climbing up and up. My body fat is coming down, my VO2 max is coming up; I’m lean, I’m faster and I’m longer on the programme, so now I look forward to showing phase two.”
“I’ve had (renowned nutrition consultant) George Lockhart living close to me in Ireland. I flew him and his team over and they were living in a hotel near the house. Every morning he’s there cooking food, everything’s on the clock. He’s here now in New York and the weight’s coming down.
“When he first came over he was feeding me more than I had been eating. I’ve been full of energy all camp, I haven’t had any dips.”
Ahead of the fight, McGregor has predicted that he will finish Alvarez inside of one round, however Alvarez has predicted that McGregor will gas early on in the scrap, and will ultimately be rocked, and then submitted.
After reading about McGregor’s new training program, and hearing both fighter’s predictions, how do you see the fight playing out? Sound off below PENN Nation!