We don't often get a glimpse at the intricacies of Conor McGregor's training regimen.
That's why it was so intriguing to have The Notorious somewhat peel back the curtain and give us all a little peek at how he prepares for fights without getting injured.
Different gyms have different philosophies.
AKA fighters famously go hard 90% of the time which often leads to fighters getting injured. Tristar take a much more cerebral approach to fight camps where technique is prioritised.
And it seems that Conor McGregor's success is based around a system whereby the training most closely simulates the fight night without having the fighters try to kill each other.
"MMA gloves, gumshield, t-shirt off and that's it. No shinpads or nothing," McGregor told Team Europe as he took control of his first training session on The Ultimate Fighter 22.
"I think this type of training that we're going to do now is something that we should do the most because it's what you're going to experience in there - the bare body, the gloves, no shinpads. It's good for the mind this one because you can feel what it's going to feel like in there without damaging the body.
"My partner throws a shot, a combination or whatever, then I throw a shot. And try to find the targets. That's something as well that when you're hitting pads, you can't really find the body... Try to find that spot, exactly where you want it."
McGregor went on to explain his belief that pad work is not the best way to improve a fighter's striking because it is an artificial situation and throwing lighter, flowing combinations without pads is the best way to work on your stand-up.
"Shot selection is one thing but you must be able to put the shot right. If throw a shot with no pads and it's an elbow bone or something, you can mess yourself up so I think this way of training (lets) you find the shot clean and it will make your shots a lot more accurate."
So there you have it.
