Conor McGregor is undoubtedly one of the best strikers in the world of MMA. In his rise to becoming ‘champ-champ’ in the UFC, McGregor showcased his lethal left hand and brilliant counter-striking. The prime example of McGregor’s skills on the feet was his fight against Jose Aldo at UFC 194. McGregor knocked Aldo out in just 13 seconds with a perfectly timed counter as Aldo was stepping in to engage.

However, his grappling skills have always been a question mark inside the Octagon. He lost his first fight against Nate Diaz to a rear-naked choke at UFC 196. And in his fight against Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 229, McGregor was helpless once he got taken down and lost via submission yet again. In a recent social media post, McGregor shared images of him training in jiu-jitsu. But he has received an interesting proposition from Gordon Ryan, the GOAT of no-gi BJJ!

Conor McGregor gets challenged to put his jiu-jitsu skills to the test by Gordon Ryan 

Conor Mcgregor has yet to fight in the UFC after his loss to Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in 2021. The Irishman was set to make his return after the conclusion of TUF 31 this year against Michael Chandler. However, issues with his presence in the USADA testing pool led to the fight being scrapped. McGregor did return to the testing pool recently, but with USADA and UFC announcing their split, fans are hoping that McGregor will return to competition next year.

While McGregor is still out of competition, he has still been training as the fighter regularly shares updates regarding the same with fans on social media. Even though his grappling skills are not considered elite by UFC standards, McGregor nevertheless trains intensely in the discipline as evidenced by his posts.

And it was his post highlighting his grappling prowess that caught the eye of BJJ phenom, Gordon Ryan, on Instagram! McGregor shared pictures of his training submissions with his partners with the caption, “Jiu-Jitsu Mac”.

Ryan, regarded as one of the best-ever No-Gi jiu-jitsu grapplers, replied to McGregor in the comments section. He stated, “Do an ADCC super fight for fun”, challenging McGregor to test his blackbelt jiu-jitsu skills against top competitors in the sport.

The comment is interesting as Gordon Ryan defeated McGregor’s friend and training partner, Dillon Danis at the 2017 ADCC World Championships. Ryan and Danis have feuded in the past which was revealed during their involvement in the Logan Paul vs Dillon Danis boxing match.

We still need to find out if McGregor will accept Ryan’s challenge. Nevertheless, Ryan and his grappling skills have also been acknowledged by UFC heavyweight champion, Jon Jones!

Gordon Ryan and Jon Jones share mutual respect  

At UFC 295, Jon Jones was set to face off against Stipe Miocic. Unfortunately, the match got called off because Jones tore his pectoral tendon during training. UFC CEO Dana White announced the injury recently on social media.

Before the mishap, Jones had been rigorously training for the fight and had sought the assistance of Gordon Ryan to improve his grappling skills. A recently released video showed the two grappling together, and their mutual respect is evident.

Ryan initiated the praise on Instagram, describing Jones as “nothing but spectacular as a person.” He highlighted Jones’ exceptional skills and his rapid ability to grasp and adapt to complex techniques, underscoring the depth of Jones’ understanding of combat sports.

Read More: Why Did Jon Jones Pull Out of UFC 295 Fight Against Stipe Miocic? Dana White Reveals

Jones reciprocated the respect on social media. He expressed his gratitude for the lessons he learned from Ryan. Along with the rare generosity of knowledge, and the inspiration he found in the process. He stated, “I’m forever grateful. What an inspiring individual to be around on and off the mat.”

But with the Stipe fight now possibly postponed till Jones’ recovery, fans will have to wait a little longer to see ‘Bones’ back in action once again. And with Gordon Ryan’s challenge to McGregor, it will be interesting to see if the Irish superstar does indeed take part in a grappling match against ADCC competitors.

Do you think we’ll see Conor McGregor return to the Octagon with improved grappling skills? And do you think Jon Jones will be able to defeat Stipe Miocic when he returns? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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