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Back in 2015, Conor McGregor and T.J. Dillashaw confronted each other during The Ultimate Fighter which has been etched in history. Why? Well, that’s because McGregor branded Dillashaw a “snake in the grass” over alleged disloyalty to Team Alpha Man. The former bantamweight champion ditched the Team Alpha Male to train alongside coach Duane Ludwig. Well, years after their initial back and forth, Conor McGregor has come forward to surprise many within the MMA community by offering a positive verdict on Dillashaw and his coach.

A video has been circulating on social media platforms where we could witness former champ, TJ Dillashaw having a training session with his coach Duane Ludwig after retiring from the sport back in October 2022, after suffering a brutal shoulder injury. The training video was shared on X, and Conor McGregor commented on it.

Conor McGregor said, “Ludwig is tremendous on the pads and with his combinations! Tremendous and unique! Very cool to see this footage. Back after heavy injury doing what you love again, you just can’t beat it. Things you love to see! Bravo fellas, onwards and upwards!”

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Dillashaw and McGregor share a notably tense relationship, primarily stemming from the infamous ‘snake’ comment. However, the former dual-weight champion put their differences aside to praise the former bantamweight titleholder.

Tj Dillashaw faced a gruesome shoulder injury back when he fought against Aljamain Sterling at UFC 280. The former champ fought valiantly against Sterling but he succumbed to a knockout loss. In addition to that, Dillashaw dislocated his shoulder in the fight, which was so bad that the fighter had to undergo multiple surgeries. Doctors even emphasize that the fighter should not engage in competition as his shoulder may not get better if it sustains another severe injury.

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However, the former champ is willing to make a comeback because his shoulder heals and training is a part of coming back to the MMA world. Regardless, Conor McGregor has praised Dillashaw’s tenacity to get back to training despite his injury. Interestingly, despite Conor McGregor’s callout, Coach Duane Ludwig never held any grudge against the fighter.

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Conor McGregor praising Dillashaw—Is this a new era of respect in MMA rivalries?

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The time when Duane Ludwig called Conor McGregor a king

Despite their rocky relationship with one another, TJ Dillashaw’s coach Duane Ludwig considers Conor McGregor to be one of the most complete fighters of his time. While having a conversation with BJ Penn Radio back in 2017, Ludwig emphasized that he was a big McGregor fan(It was during the time ‘Notorious’ was at the peak of his career). “Look what Conor’s been able to do,” Ludwig said on BJPenn radio.

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He further added, “That is huge. I’m a Conor McGregor fan, that guy is making some big things happen. But there’s a very select few people that can pull that off, it shouldn’t be everybody acting mad and talking stupid. You know, people are trying to talk like Conor, but he doesn’t swear, he’s really articulate, he’s funny.“The guy’s a genius at what he’s doing. I’m all for that. And he performs, he loves the limelight. I’m all for it. I want to see how far he can go as a human. I think if we were f**king thousands of years ago, he would probably be the king. He’d be running s**t. Tell me that guy couldn’t be running a country. He’s probably running Ireland.”

Years have passed since Ludwig made these statements, and Conor McGregor has achieved significant success in both his MMA career and business ventures. However, with great power comes great responsibility, and McGregor has struggled to uphold this, as the recent Nikita Hand case has tarnished his reputation. Despite this, Conor McGregor continues to rise.

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Conor McGregor praising Dillashaw—Is this a new era of respect in MMA rivalries?