Do you know what is the most talked about phenomenon in MMA right now? It is probably the UFC 303 bout between Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler. Both fighters are coming back after long layoffs and there are questions about how they will fare on their return, especially McGregor.

McGregor was ready to fight after the injury and operation on his leg from the last fight with Dustin Poirier. ‘The Notorious’ is training hard for the fight and the latest sparring video is all the evidence we need to know that he is ready to take on the challenge. The sparring video where he caught his partner with his left cross was also seen by a UFC insider who was impressed by his skills. He declared that Team McGregor need not worry since ‘Mystic Mac’ seems to be in good shape. 

Chael Sonnen reacts to Conor McGregor landing signature move in sparring

Chael Sonnen commented on the sparring video uploaded by Conor McGregor recently and had mixed reviews from fans. In the clip shared on Instagram, we can see McGregor landing his pull-back counter left cross to perfection, taking his opponent off balance. Since both of them were wearing protective gear, it did not end up as a knockout or a knockdown

For Sonnen, what he saw was “good news for team McGregor.” He said, “Conor looked good. That one setup, by the way, is a massive timing issue. You cannot have that timing unless you are actively in the gym. That’s good news for Team McGregor. The fact that he is getting that hard sparring, these things are very positive.”

However, he had one concern. The former UFC title challenger was not impressed by the fact that McGregor was doing a pure boxing sparring session. According to ‘Uncle’ Chael, this was a mistake. This boxing-heavy stance of McGregor’s came under heavy scrutiny after his last two defeats.

The veteran explained how training a discipline in the pure form, in the proper equipment, was not conducive to the skills transferring to MMA. He recommended doing the same, in MMA gear, in an MMA cage to prepare for the fight.

Nevertheless, the fans were quite impressed by this sparring and commented the same on his video. Apart from the latest video, McGregor uploaded more snippets of his training and seems like this time his approach is different!

Conor McGregor’s training looks different ahead of UFC 303

’The Notorious’ posted several videos previously as well of his sparring sessions at Crumlin Boxing Club in South Dublin. During these brief clips, McGregor was displaying his trademark movements of distance management as he dropped his opponent to the ground. Even though both men were wearing heavy gloves and helmets, McGregor showed his immense strength and sharpness. 

The fans were also left stunned by the fight. They were more surprised to see the whole McGregor family training together on one of the updates in Instagram. He was seen training in the gym with his fiance, Dee Devlin, as well. Even his son Conor Jr. was mimicking McGregor on the pads. McGregor seemed happy in these posts and coach John Kavanagh once said in 2020, “A happy fighter is a dangerous fighter.”

This footage clearly shows how McGregor is not forcing a war zone mentality for the fight away from his family which he did incorporate for UFC 264. This time he is connected to his family, his roots and even visiting nature. Will this new approach help McGregor win the fight against Michael Chandler?