The upheaval: the training camp that changed Conor McGregor

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More than a year has passed since the last time Conor McGregor stepped into the ring. It happened on January 18, 2020, and then managed to defeat Donald Seroni. Since Corona’s, the UFC fights have been back – but the greatest fighter of his generation has yet to speak out. Between Saturday and Sunday, he will go up to face Dustin Fourier – hoping to continue on his great balance.

But McGregor’s return to the Octagon, on the ESPN website, came back to another moment – where he experienced defeat. It happened in March 2016, then defeated by Nate Diaz in Las Vegas, and experienced his third overall loss of his career (later, came the fourth – against Habib Normgomedov). McGregor experienced failure, a rare feeling in his successful career. But McGregor knew how to recover, and lifted himself in a characteristic way.

Three weeks later, he contacted his friend, cyclist Colin Byrne, and asked him for help. “I knew I was having a hard time in battle, because of my inability.” Byrne, McGregor and another cycling champion – Julian Dalby, went to training camp in Portugal. “We thought it would only be for one week, and then we could get him back on track,” Byrne said, “but we kept going.”

The training sessions included long runs, cycling along with Byrne and Double, were quite strenuous – but McGregor did not give up. “When we were done, he wanted to keep going. He did sit-ups, or other things. And I had to tell him – no, no, we’m done. Go home, eat something, rest and after that we will continue. That’s how it works.”

Three months later, McGregor returned to the ring – and won big, against the same Knight Diaz – and this time by a majority, with a much easier victory. The greatest of all proved once again that there is no better than him. “Discipline and program are the keys to success,” McGregor said in an interview. “You need to have a plan, and you need to be disciplined. And I’m those things.”

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