He’s the brash, flash poster boy of UFC with a legion of fans. Five months ago he shocked the MMA world by losing. This month he hopes to make amends. MH spent a day with Conor McGregor to find out how unlikely champions are created and how you, too, can surpass expectation.
Conor McGregor is explaining what to do should you find yourself in a bar fight; where, specifically, to punch someone in the face. The solemn precision of his advice is disconcerting, though this could, in part, be down to the fact he is dispensing it while throttling his convertible Rolls-Royce Phantom down LA’s Century Freeway at breakneck speed.
“You want to hit someone on the soft part of their face,” he says with a smile, one hand on the wheel. The top is down and the wind makes it hard to hear the hardest pound-for-pound puncher in UFC history. “I recommend putting your fist between their nose and mouth,” he says, casually. “It’s tender there.”
McGregor exchanges a warm glance with his longtime girlfriend, Dee. “To hit someone on the chin you need power,” he continues, solemnity renewed. “In any case, don’t wait. Hit first and hit hard. Get in and get out.”
These last three sentences, delivered quickly and effectively like his flashing left jab, sum up McGregor’s approach to both fighting and life. This is a man who wraps up championship bouts in 13 seconds, a 65kg fighter who hits with a power he has no right to possess. A man who went from being a plumber’s apprentice to earning multiple championship belts and the first $1 million purse in UFC history. A man who has become the high-torque, brogue talking, big-spending, smart-dressing poster boy of the octagon.
This story is from the September 2016 edition of Men's Health UK.
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This story is from the September 2016 edition of Men's Health UK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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