‘Wonderboy’ Expects Conor McGregor to Return to ‘Roots of Movement’ Next Fight

Stephen Thompson recently got to spend some time with Conor McGregor in Las Vegas, and it was an interesting experience, to say the least.

The fighters share the same management, and “Wonderboy” was able to work with the former UFC two-division champion as he prepares to face Michael Chandler after coaching on “The Ultimate Fighter 31.” No date has been set for the fight, but it will be McGregor’s first appearance since breaking his leg against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in July 2021. When it happens, Thompson expects to see some familiar elements return to the Irish star’s game.

“For someone to come off of an injury like that, his mindset is like it didn’t even happen,” Thompson said in an interview with Submission Radio. “He’s getting back to his roots, his karate. He’s never trained in karate, but he’s trained with a lot of karate fighters and that’s where he gets a lot of his movement from. For instance, when he fought Jose Aldo, his movement, his wide stance, his speed was on point — he’s back to that. At a heavier weight, which is scary.

“If you ever shook Conor’s hand, the dude’s got a bigger fist than I do, he’s got like a melon of a fist. Like what the heck, man. No wonder he puts people out with that one-hitter quitter punch. But he’s back to his movement,” Thompson continued. “I think he listened to the fans. His last two fights with Poirier, he was kind of in that boxer mentality, he’s got to get back to his roots of movement, and that’s what we’re going to see from Conor the next time he steps out there.”

Much has been made of the mass McGregor has apparently added while filming for the “Roadhouse” remake. A recent picture posted on Thompson’s Instagram fueled speculation regarding just how big McGregor might actually be. According to Thompson, McGregor has put on some size, but the former welterweight title challenger still has an edge in total weight.

“We took a picture together. He looks bigger than I am, but I’m actually bigger than him,” Thompson said. “He’s around 185, maybe 180. I’m around 195 — the heaviest I’ve been in a while, actually — but he knows how to inch forward and make himself look bigger. It’s pretty cool to watch. I would never think of that. That’s his persona, man. He carries it very well.”

With McGregor in the midst of filming for “TUF 31,” Thompson was able to witness the larger-than-life personality of “The Notorious” one firsthand. He says it’s something that definitely becomes amplified when cameras are around.

“You see Conor fight and you see everything he says on social media, but to be able to hang out with him the entire time, it was cool, man. We’ve crossed paths many times in the past, we’ve fought on the same cards. He’s part of my management — and probably owns some of my management, I think, so we would cross paths all the time,” Thompson said. “But to be able to hang out with him that entire week, it was cool. It’s funny how he can turn it on. He knows when a camera is on him. For some reason, it’s like a super power... he turns into that Conor persona. It’s pretty cool to watch. He’s a showman for sure. On and off screen, he’s very, very nice. It’s just something that switches.”

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