Getty Conor McGregor attends a Spotify evening of music with star-studded performances.
UFC superstar Conor McGregor lost his cool at Tiger Muay Thai coach Rafael Fiziev after accepting the offer to train the next time he’s in Thailand.
The former two-division UFC champion came across a July 5 tweet from MMA reporter
Alex Behunin highlighting Fiziev’s unbelievable defense, with the poster comparing his ability to dodge strikes with Neo from “The Matrix.” However, McGregor was not pleased with what he saw and suggested a counter move to demolish the technique.
McGregor shared the video the same day, writing: “This is awesome. Change the roundhouse to an axe kick. Roundhouse into and axe kick and this defense eats the full of the heel. I’m telling you. If their reaction to a high kick is this, implement the axe.”
“Ataman” did not take long to respond to the Irish icon’s claims as they argued online over the striking methods. He responded to McGregor by claiming it would be impossible to land an axe kick in the given scenario.
“Conor, I invite you to @tigermuaythai where we can show you how to kick and defend the kicks properly so you can stop living in fantasy world where you think it’s possible to land an axe kick in this situation,” Fiziev wrote.
McGregor responded, “I didn’t do all I have done in this business by living in “fantasy world”. I done it through in depth personal study. Dissecting movement patterns and habits and capitalizing off of them with devastating results.”
In another tweet, McGregor reiterated his take on the best approach: “I’m telling you, I’ve faced this defense habit a lot in my time where I knew every high kick I threw was being pulled back from and hitting air. I then began changing to an axe kick and came down on top with great success. That or the running roundhouse.”
“The Notorious” also accepted Fiziev’s offer to train together the next time he’s in the country: “Thank you for the offer. When I am in Thailand I will head here for sure! Don’t disrespect you are yet to do anything significant in this sport. Good luck in your upcoming fight.”
Fiziev didn’t appear to take his words well as he referenced McGregor’s unsuccessful efforts against Dustin Poirier in their second fight at UFC 257 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates: “No disrespect meant either, training together will be beneficial for both of us. Trust me it will be much better camp than you had in Dubai before.”
What started as a cordial chat between the two quickly turned sour, with McGregor firing shots at Fiziev, writing, “No bother pal, sound. Think of me as tiger woods with a 12 iron and your nose as the golf ball. And think of me sprinting for it with a running switch kick and f*** your little bend back. You little bend back nobody b****. Oh you bend over, wow, that’s awesome. Congrats pal haha.”
@RafaelFiziev @tigermuaythai No bother pal, sound. Think of me as tiger woods with a 12 iron and your nose as the golf ball. And think of me sprinting for it with a running switch kick and fuck your little bend back. You little bend back nobody bitch. Oh you bend over, wow, that’s awesome. Congrats pal haha
Who Will Conor McGregor Fight in His Return?
McGregor has been on the sidelines for a year due to a horrible leg injury he suffered in his last outing with Dustin Poirier at UFC 264. While swift in recovery, he’s shared regular updates with his fans online and recently got back to kicking again after fixing his broken fibula and tibia.
Ahead of his highly awaited comeback, “Mystic Mac” has been linked to a potential fourth fight with Poirier or a third blockbuster bout with Nate Diaz. McGregor also expressed interest in challenging the reigning UFC welterweight king Kamaru Usman for his return fight.
UFC president Dana White sees Michael Chandler as the perfect opponent next for the biggest draw in the sport, he said in an interview with TMZ. But boxing icon Mike Tyson told Henry Cejudo on “The Fight Card” podcast that McGregor would be better off with a tune-up fight working his way back up to the elite competition.
Fiziev Called Out Justin Gaethje for His Next Fight
Fiziev marked his return to action against former UFC lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos at UFC on ESPN 39 on July 9 at the UFC Apex, Las Vegas, Nevada.
Their headlining bout was a result of quality matchmaking by the promotion as they pitted the rising Kazakh against the seasoned veteran who had stepped inside the cage with many of the best athletes in the company’s history.
After a competitive contest for four rounds, Fiziev managed to knock out dos Anjos in the fifth round. He took the opportunity to call out two-time former title challenger Justin Gaethje for his next outing.