The Beast, Conor McGregor, 32, seems to have made a slight but noticeable change to his UFC training camp, apparently with an eye on a future fight, as he recently brought in a professional boxing coach, Dylan Moran, The Daily Star reported Sunday.
Moran is in the Irishman's camp after moving from Portugal to Dublin and now to Dubai, as well as Crumlin Boxing Club coach Phil Sutcliffe from McGregor's home town.
It is less than two weeks before McGregor's rematch with Dustin Poirier at UFC 257. And his nutritionist is getting the fighter in the "best shape of his life", according to McGregor's constant boasts on social media.
The UFC star does have experience in the boxing ring, as he lost to Floyd Mayweather in August 2017. Yet it seems that the defeat has not deterred him from boxing, as McGregor has been sharing images of him throwing some powerful punches in sparring.
Moran also shared images on his social media pages after their sparring session.
It is expected that McGregor will later take on boxing legend Manny Pacquiao, 42, in the ring, so his boxing training will further increase his fitness. In autumn, Pacquiao confirmed that the fight will take place some time in 2021, and he himself failed to beat Mayweather back in 2015.
In June last year, McGregor said he was fully withdrawing from fighting, one of many such statements he has made over the years. Though, as it happens, he later agreed to participate in a rematch with Poirier.