UFC superstar Conor McGregor was compared to an all-time great boxing legend by one of his coaches this week. McGregor was named the “Muhammad Ali of the UFC” by boxing coach Phil Sutcliffe as the Irishman heads towards his upcoming rematch against Dustin “The Diamond” Poirier at UFC 257 on January 23.
Sutcliffe told The Mac Life that McGregor was similar to the most famous boxing champion in history because of how well the ex-UFC “champ champ” is able to anticipate and react to his opponent’s attacks.
“I tell most of our boxers, learn how to read, learn how to see the shots coming. He has that with fine art,” Sutcliffe said. “He’s the Muhammad Ali of the UFC.”
How McGregor Became UFC Superstar
Sutcliffe was asked whether McGregor was born with the skill to become a UFC superstar or if it was something he had to learn over time. The boxing coach admitted it was probably a little bit of both of those things combined.
“It’s a bit of both. He always had the ability to not get hit and reading the punches even as a child. He is able to move his head, bob, weave, and the work ethic of him is unbelievable,” Sutcliffe said.
But McGregor’s boxing coach touted his fighter’s work ethic and said it was something that probably helped separate the fighter from the pack
“The amount of work he puts in, he didn’t become Conor McGregor easy. The amount of work he had to put in between his wrestling, his judo, his karate, his fighting force in the ring, and his boxing skills…,” Sutcliffe said.
Indeed, McGregor recently posted about the rigorous training methods he’s been using to prepare for his next fight, and it appears to have been a ton of work already.
McGregor posted, “Word just back from the team…In the last 6 weeks of my training, I’ve completed 375 minutes of Sparring. This equates to 75×5 minute rounds. Or 15 championship MMA fights. My last fight lasted 40seconds. This is why though.”
Earlier this week, the Irishman again put his work ethic on display when he revealed some of the planning and strategy that goes behind McGregor’s activities during training camp.
McGregor posted, “Solid work in the 18oz’rs! Back on the horse! Time zone adjusting. Weight scale calculating. Fail to prepare, prepare to fail. No chance! I am preparing a masterpiece!”
UFC 257: Poirer vs. McGregor 2
McGregor faces Dustin “The Diamond” Poirier in a rematch six years after their first fight in the main event of the UFC’s first pay-per-view card of 2021.
Like McGregor’s only fight last year against Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone at UFC 246, McGregor’s pay-per-view fight vs. Poirier is expected to be one of the biggest and best-selling fights of the year.
For his part, Poirier has also been putting in tons of work at the gym in hopes of gaining revenge over the Irishman for what happened in their last encounter.
Poirier posted, “I love Monday’s! Rent is due! Let’s go!!!!”
McGregor and Poirier will lock horns in less than a month, and whether McGregor is truly the “Muhammad Ali of the UFC” or not, the popular megastar also plans to participate in a superfight boxing match next year against all-time great boxing legend Manny Pacquiao.
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Conor McGregor vs. Muhammad Ali: ‘He Has That’