Tuesday 16 August 2016 13:06, UK
Conor McGregor's late-night sessions have been replaced with a strict training plan before his rematch with Nate Diaz. Sky Sports open the gym door and go behind-the-scenes...
McGregor made no secret of his preference to train at night then sleep all morning. But not any more...
"We do an early session and a late session - we do skills-based stuff early then strength and conditioning, and cardiovascular, later in the day," said McGregor's sports scientist Julian Dalby, exclusively to Sky Sports.
We do an early session and a late session - we do skills-based stuff early then strength and conditioning, and cardiovascular, later in the day.
"From a neuro standpoint, the athlete is sharper and fresher earlier in the day. For the second session, the athlete doesn't feel like he has to hold back in the conditioning training. You don't have to worry that, if you get tired, someone will get you in a guillotine choke!"
Artem Lobov, McGregor's training partner who is fighting on the undercard, told Sky Sports: "We've introduced much more structure for this camp. Previously we trained whenever we felt like it, but I feel as though, with more structure, I can see the improvements already.
"Of course the skills are the number one factor, but fitness is also just as important. If you have a Ferrari but you don't put petrol in it, then it won't perform the way you want it to. You need both."
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"I became obsessed with the rings, I became obsessed with things that are maybe not so beneficial to the fight game," McGregor told Reebok. "I have gone back into my cardiovascular training - hit the road, on the bike, on the treadmill, on the rowing machine - putting miles on the clock that, I feel, will improve my game overall."
Road, bike, treadmill, rowing. Which does McGregor focus on?
Former professional cyclist Dalby has been recruited into the fight camp. Dalby told Sky Sports: "Conor suffered a knee injury two years ago so it limits his ability to run. Cycling is a non-impact endurance activity that we do, to replace running, which in our case isn't an option. It's for cardiovascular conditioning.
Conor likes the fancy bikes - he's got himself a high-tech, Tour de France spec bike. He likes his toys.
"We could have chosen any piece of apparatus but the advantage of cycling is that, psychologically, it's easier to cycle for an hour than to go on a rowing machine. We have fun, but the training gets done.
"Most of MMA is a series of anaerobic efforts and we train for that as well. But cycling is a way to keep the heart-rate high for 50 minutes or an hour.
"Conor likes the fancy bikes - he's got himself a high-tech, Tour de France spec bike. He likes his toys."
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"Most of the strength training actually comes from ground work, and jiu-jitsu," Dalby continued.
Let's step into the cage. What's the sparring routine?
"I've brought in middleweights to prepare," the Irishman said on a conference call. "There's a reason why I'm sparring middleweights every god damn day and he's sparring with flyweights. We are preparing for differing style opponents and he's prepared for the lighter fight and I'm prepared for the heavier, slower man that can take a smack.
"The bigger guy stays there but the smaller guy isn't there no more, so I just had countless, countless rounds and countless hours of people not going away.
"I've been preparing to face a durable, experienced fighter who has the reach, the height and the length. There's going to be a lot more in my tank. I'm going to be a lot more prepared for a man that can stay in there with me."
McGregor has been spotted in boxing gyms so who has he sparred with?
Ireland's Olympic medal winning duo Paddy Barnes and Michael Conlan have lent a hand, and amateur standout Conor Wallace was used to replicate Diaz's exact style. Several weeks back, McGregor visited west coast boxing gyms for rounds with Chris van Heerden (24-2-1), a former opponent of Errol Spence.
The athletes we have brought in are world class, and this has helped us to improve and get better and better.
"The athletes we have brought in are world class, and this has helped us to improve and get better and better," Lobov told Sky Sports.
"We have been growing and developing from camp to camp. Every time we learn something new, we have fresh ideas. These techniques are scientifically tested and proven to work, so we believe in what we are doing."
Diaz won by submission last time, so has McGregor stepped up his grappling?
"I don't think the difference between us in that fight was the jiu-jitsu, I think it was the durability and endurance," McGregor said on a conference call. "I am confident on the mat with Nate. After that, I've brought in heavier people, more experienced jiu-jitsu people to come and push me daily. So I'll be experienced for the jiu-jitsu and the later rounds also."
So, is McGregor getting fitter?
"Yes, and it's measurable," Dalby told us. "We've introduced high-tech facilities. The differences are recorded, rather than subjective. We record lung capacity, VO2 max, lactate levels. I can tell you Conor is in the best shape he's ever been in."
For our readers who want to train like McGregor - is this lifestyle affordable?
"With gyms, cars, transport, flights, accommodations - I'd estimate we're talking a $300,000 camp here," McGregor told ESPN. "This is a big, big expense - but what I make is big. So, in the bigger picture, it's rather small."
