Absolutely nobody is expecting to see Conor McGregor hanging around the UFC’s 145 lb division for too long.
The UFC’s interim featherweight champion has spoken at length about his desire to move up to 155 lbs in the near future and it’s not surprising given the current issues around weight-cutting in the promotion.
Under the World Anti-Doping Agency’s code, which the UFC is now following, fighters are prohibited from rehydrating with the use of an IV because athletes are able to mask doping agents with the use of intravenous therapy.
That means that fighters with the larger weight cuts, of which Conor McGregor is certainly one, may struggle to compete at their best as they struggle to rehydrate following weigh-ins.
McGregor’s SBG teammate Gunnar Nelson was recently asked for his opinion on McGregor’s substantial weight cut (the rumours are that The Notorious walks around at over 170 lbs) and Nelson, whose father is the president of Iceland’s MMA federation, explained that he wants his training partner to move up in weight.
“He [McGregor] does a big cut,” Nelson told SubmissionRadio. “And he doesn’t like it.
“I don’t think he’s going to do it that much longer. I think he’s going to move up. I think he wants to move up and I don’t blame him.
“I wouldn’t be able to do this cut too many times. It definitely takes it out of you, there’s no doubt.
“He has a lot of energy and he’ll tough through it and fight really well, even though he does this cut, but I just think, looking ahead, that this is not good for your health.
“I don’t think he should do it many more times and I’ve told him that. That’s my opinion.”
