The change in weight could be very bad news for the lightweight champion.
Artem Lobov, a man who regularly spars with the UFC champion at SBG, has an insight into how the Dubliner is coping with training at lightweight ahead of his showdown with Rafael dos Anjos next month.
Chad Mendes feels that McGregor may be slower in the move up from featherweight, while other fighters felt the power of the champion has been underestimated in his fights so far.
However, Lobov has some worrying news for the Brazilian as he believes that instead of the move to 155lbs slowing McGregor down, he is actually stronger than ever, as he told Fighters Only.
“He always feels very big and very strong, to be honest, but I definitely feel the difference now that he is a lightweight. He’s a lot harder to move around and he’s got a lot more power now, and is just much stronger. So I don’t feel jealous of Rafael being in there with Conor, because he’ll know all about it.”
Lobov, who has had a disappointing run in the UFC losing both his fights in the promotion, feels those who are backing the champions because he has fought more often at lightweight than McGregor, could be in for a shock when the two men come face to face in Las Vegas at UFC 196.
“(Rafael) thinks that he’s the bigger man because he’s at lightweight and Conor was at featherweight. But he’ll find out very soon that that’s not the case.”
