Conor McGregor has ‘a hell of a lot more power’ ahead of UFC 257 rematch with Dustin Poirier on Fight Island, coach says
CONOR MCGREGOR is hitting harder than ever ahead of his UFC return, coach John Kavanagh revealed.
The former two-division champion makes his eagerly-awaited return in a rematch with Dustin Poirier at UFC 257 in Abu Dhabi.
McGregor has put on a considerable amount of muscle mass ahead of his rematch with the American.
And according to Kavanagh, his thicker frame has translated to a significant increase in the power of his already-concussive strikes.
The Straight Blast Gym Ireland head coach told SunSport: "All that he has now is a hell of a lot more power, which is terrifying."
McGregor's meeting with Poirier, which will be a rematch of their showdown six years ago at UFC 178, will be his first outing in over a year.
The Irishman last graced the octagon at UFC 246, where he decimated Donald Cerrone in 40 seconds to claim his first victory in nearly four years.
Kavanagh isn't concerned by his student's inactivity, a calmness which stems from the Dubliner's constant training throughout 2020 and a stellar camp.
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He said: "I think on the last check were at 75 rounds he done this training camp.
"I would say now, if we were to check, that we're not far off 100 rounds.
"So to see him have done multiple, multiple, multiple five rounds, pretty high-level and high-intensity spars in the gym.
"And one thing about Conor is when he's sparring in the gym, he may as well be fighting in the arena.
"He's able to get himself into a mental place where it's the same feelings as it will be walking out on fight night. So ring rust, no issues with this."
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McGregor, 32, is eager to better his emphatic victory over Poirier this weekend - setting his sights on a knockout inside the first minute.
Kavanagh is expecting the rematch to be a more competitive affair second time around but believes it will ultimately be decided by the exchanges in the early embers of the fight.
He said: "I think it's decided in the first minute. Like the Eddie fight, that went into the second round.
"But we all knew what was going to happen within a minute.
"Dustin himself says he wants to be bloody and hurt in the first minute, he will be."
