McGregor Was Not In ‘Perfect Condition’
Conor McGregor has once again gone on record stating that he wasn’t fully prepared for his fight with Khabib Nurmagomedov.
McGregor challenged Nurmagomedov for the lightweight title at UFC 229 back in October 2018. However, the Irishman was unable to withstand the grappling prowess of Nurmagomedov as he eventually succumbed to a fourth-round submission defeat.
Since then, he has repeatedly claimed he didn’t take the training camp seriously and wasn’t prepared for the fight as a result. He reiterated that again in a recent interview while adding that he is hungrier today.
“I will admit that the fight before UFC 246, I did not train properly and was not in perfect condition,” McGregor told Bleacher Report. “Call it what you want. I am hungry today. Hungry like a man who has not eaten for weeks. … When I set my mind to something, there is nothing I can not accomplish. It is that power of belief that makes up the winners.”
Although McGregor was dominated on the ground, there were periods of the fight where it was contested standing up, especially in the third round. Many believed McGregor would eventually land the knockout then but it never happened.
So why was he unable to execute? The former two-weight champion attributes it to a lack of preparation once again.
“That is a very good question, and I will simply say I was not fully prepared,” McGregor said. “It proves that anything can happen in the fight game. You can trust that I will not make the same mistakes next time. I came out well, and in an instant, things changed. It’s as simple as that.”
McGregor has since enjoyed a successful return to the Octagon when he defeated Donald Cerrone at UFC 246 back in January. He is expected to face the winner of Nurmagomedov’s upcoming title defense against Tony Ferguson.
