Conor McGregor has admitted that he focused on the wrong strategy going into his grudge match with Khabib Nurmagomedov.
McGregor cannot be blamed for going into UFC 229 with a gameplan he hoped would negate the smothering wrestling game of Nurmagomedov but he now believes that he had the wrong mindset entirely.
While he serves his six-month suspension for his role in the post-fight melee, McGregor is concentrating primarily on grappling and offensive grappling in particular and has vowed “to literally tear these men apart now”.
‘The Notorious’ said that he was tapping opponents for fun in the build-up to the Nurmagomedov clash but let himself become obsessed with defending throughout, something that he is adamant will not happen again.
Writing on Instagram, McGregor said: “My attacking game is still catching up as you can see here. Loose arm drags and over eagerly jumping to hooks and losing position. But I am gaining good traction again. My passing and my overall forward pressure is building nicely. I will keep building. For I am a brick wall.
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“Before I went into my last camp I was doing extensive work in the gi and my attacking game was developing really well. My submissions were becoming a lot more frequent. I was supremely confident in my attacking. I could spend full rounds attached to the back. Through all ranges. Snatching the neck. Breaking posture. Generally mauling anything I touched.
“For some reason though, I went into camp and focused solely on defense. I trained to disengage. To Anti grapple. To Avoid. I disrespected my own attacking game and became a stranger to it. I allowed outside influence filter into my own thinking.
“I can pull a dead horse out of a ditch if I latch around it’s head why would I not snatch up the neck? Why would I disengage? Why would I avoid anything?
“I don’t know what I was thinking back then. But I am thinking clear now. I will not make that mistake again. I am going to literally tear these men apart now. Watch me. One by fucking one.”
As he has in recent years, McGregor is working his ground game extensively with Marcelo Garca black belt Dillon Danis in the lead-up to his comeback, with an opponent yet to be named.
Donald Cerrone has been touted as a potential fight for the Irishman, who is free to compete again from April 6.
But the former UFC featherweight and lightweight champion has also teased his involvement in “the most lucrative grappling event ever” by asking his 30 million followers their thoughts on both he and Danis competing against top opposition under strict grappling rules.
“Thank you for the rounds today brother!” McGregor wrote in a separate post after praising Danis’ ability.
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“Would you like to see the rest of these rounds?
“Would you like to see the highest grossing grappling event of all time?
“The worlds most lucrative grappling event ever to take place?
“Would you like to see us both compete in it? Against highly touted opposition?
“I am eager to compete again. Life is good.”
