Ever since #DollyGate, Conor McGregor (21-3) has been relatively quiet on social media, with only two tweets since the chaotic incident that seemed to depict a much tamer, mellowed McGregor. Wednesday, however, McGregor returned to posting training footage, where he can be seen closing the distance on a training partner, shooting for a takedown, and engaging in some simulated ground and pound (Video at bottom of this article).
This seems to be the departure from the usual McGregor training tweet, not to mention his entire style of fighting, and with the undefeated Khabib Nurmagomedov rumored to be next on the horizon, it is possible that McGregor is letting Khabib know, Don’t think I’m not a well-rounded martial artist. Don’t believe me? Just watch!
Khabib Nurmagomedov (26-0) is known for his first-rate grappling and his mauling style, and for this reason many see him as a nightmare matchup for Conor McGregor, who is known for being primarily, if not exclusively, a striker. By releasing a rare tweet that shows a focus on his ground game, McGregor seems to be inviting doubters to reconsider their assessment of him by informing them with actions rather than words that he is constantly working on his game and that he is a true, well-rounded mixed martial artist.
Perhaps the biggest criticism of McGregor is his inactivity in the Octagon, with his last fight in the UFC being in November of 2016. This is not the first possible indicator of McGregor training for Khabib. In March, McGregor tweeted the following to show that he was improving his wrestling skills:
Solid work with phenomenal young wrestler Kosti.
Another great Moldovan in the stable.
Up Moldova ?? pic.twitter.com/vF9uMZvRJ9— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) March 30, 2018
Today’s training video could be McGregor updating his fans to let them know he is still training and nothing more. Or maybe the sudden focus on wrestling is putting the new lightweight champion on notice. Or maybe McGregor is working on his wrestling to prepare for his next opponent, but it is for another wrestler in Georges St. Pierre in what would be a stunning twist.
Of course until after McGregor’s next hearing on June 14th, it is not only speculation of what the purpose is behind sharing this video, but also whether or not he will have a chance to use these skills at all in the near future.
What Do You Think? Is Conor McGregor Signaling that He is Training for Khabib Nurmagomedov?
Check out McGregor’s latest training video below:
