When Conor McGregor looked drained and unhealthy after his weight cut to get to featherweight
Conor McGregor has competed in the featherweight (145-pound), lightweight (155-pound), and welterweight (170-pound) divisions in his professional MMA career. McGregor debuted in the UFC as a featherweight and notably went on an unbeaten run in the organization's 145-pound division.
'The Notorious' ended his stint in that weight class after capturing the UFC featherweight title. McGregor's final UFC featherweight bout witnessed him secure an iconic title-winning 13-second KO against fellow MMA great Jose Aldo at UFC 194 in December 2015.
Earlier that year, McGregor put forth another dominant performance, spectacularly stopping Dennis Siver. Their featherweight bout, which headlined the UFC Fight Night card on January 18th, 2015, saw McGregor beat Siver via second-round TKO.
While both McGregor and Siver weighed in under the 146-pound limit for non-title featherweight bouts, the Irishman's weight cut sparked major concern. McGregor successfully hit the 145-pound mark at the weigh-ins but appeared to be severely dehydrated, as suggested by his face and body.
You’ve seen pictures of Conor McGregor’s weight cuts all week.
For the Siver fight, McGregor was allowed to weigh in at 146.
He chose to the extra pound to 145 because that was Championship weight. https://t.co/CJGiJHlce3
A few months ago, Reddit user u/slingoo harked back to Conor McGregor's aforementioned weight cut that took place in 2015. They posted a few photos in which the UFC megastar looked completely drained from the weight cut.
Additionally, as reported by GiveMeSport, McGregor's head coach John Kavanagh recently referenced the Reddit post during an Instagram Live session. Kavanagh indicated that the weight cut was conducted professionally. Nevertheless, he acknowledged that such weight cuts adversely affect a fighter in the long run. Kavanagh said:
“They were very extreme and they were all done under the eyes of a medical professional. Even he himself wouldn’t ever go back to those weight classes now.”
The SBG head coach added:
“It’s not healthy, and it’s not for the long term. I would encourage you to look at his more recent pictures he’s putting up on Instagram. Look how big and strong that looks. That’s what it is to be a fighter, get big, get strong, and be healthy for life.”
UFC president Dana White on Conor McGregor's much-awaited comeback
Conor McGregor hasn't competed inside the octagon since suffering a horrific leg injury in his lightweight bout against Dustin Poirier in July 2021. That said, McGregor has started training again. The former UFC featherweight and lightweight champion has also hinted at returning in early 2023, likely at welterweight.
During the UFC 281 post-fight press conference earlier this month, UFC president Dana White highlighted that Conor McGregor had just finished filming his part in the 'Road House' movie remake. Reassuring fans that McGregor will return in 2023, White said:
"He just got done filming a movie and he's been posting videos of himself training. And he definitely wants to come back next year."
Catch Dana White's comments (9:15) below: