Former two division champion Conor McGregor fell short in his attempt to reclaim the promotions lightweight title from Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 229.
The undefeated Russian, Nurmagomedov (27-0 MMA), was able to frustrate the Irish superstar with his strong grappling skills before eventually submitting McGregor with a neck crank in round four.
Despite the rather lopsided setback, Conor McGregor still remains confident that he can become the first man to ever defeat “The Eagle“.
“Mystic Mac” had already stated his desires to have an immediate rematch with Khabib.
According to Conor McGregor’s longtime coach John Kavanagh, the Irish superstar has already began game planning for a second fight with Nurmagomedov.
“Conor watched [the Khabib fight] right away, I hadn’t seen the fight since,” Kavanagh told ESPN’s Ariel Helwani (via MMA Mania). “I got essays immediately to my phone, ‘We’re gonna do this, we’re gonna do that.’ I was like great, if we’re gonna do it, let’s do it. I would change a few things around even from a training standpoint.”
If Conor McGregor does take on a second fight with his undefeated Russian nemesis, coach Kavanagh believes his pupil will need to train “Rocky 3” style in order to get back “the eye of the tiger”.
“We’d have to go… it’s kind of funny, to use a ridiculous analogy, it’s a bit like Rocky 3. We’ve got this up and coming guy and I wanna go back to get the eye of the tiger, go back and train in an old school gym. Just disappear. Get me, Conor, Artem [Lobov], Peter [Queally], and that kind of crew, and just disappear for three months.”
John Kavanagh continued:
“Really put in a nightmarish training camp, an old school training camp. If we’re going to do it again, that would be my requirement to go do this again.”
Do you think Conor McGregor should have an immediate rematch with Khabib Nurmagomedov following his loss to “The Eagle” at UFC 229? Sound off in the comments section PENN Nation!