Conor McGregor gives next fight update following civil trial

Conor McGregor says he is "hoping for some good news to break" as he eyes a return to the Octagon in 2025. The Dubliner has not fought in over three and a half years since suffering a horror leg break in his trilogy fight with Dustin Poirier.

McGregor was due to face Michael Chandler in June of this year, but withdrew from the bout after breaking his baby toe in training. He has won just one fight in the past eight years.

The former two-weight UFC champion continues to count the cost following the fallout from his recent civil case.

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Last month, a civil court ordered McGregor to pay Nikita Hand nearly over €250,000 in damages after she claimed he raped and choked her in a Dublin hotel in 2018.

However, the 36-year-old appears to be working towards a return to the Octagon next year after uploading training footage online.

Explaining what is happening in the video, he wrote in a lengthy post on X: “Partner went for x-guard, but without control of my back leg, I can, with good balance and composure, step up and over into reverse knee on belly. I then slot my lead knee in blocking his hip fully while also securing control of both his wrists. I now have both my knees on my partner, who bares full weight on top of him, and no hands to fight. Very heavy.

“The position I am in also here, not your typical knee on belly, in that I am completely upright, allows me, in MMA, to have full torque for reigning down proper finishing blows vs any style of rabbit punching (yuck) (boring) (decision a**) (‘Referee, please stop the fight I’m hitting him can’t you see’ lol) partner then goes to reach around the back in a type of ‘Octopus guard’ that’s gaining popularity lately, and for good reason, it is very effective to sweep / get up from, but I have position, and I clamp down on his shoulder as he attempts it. Clamping on the shoulder is very effective and underutilized, IMO.

“John Kavanagh has an extensive shoulder clamp system from bottom position, and we use it with a lot of success at SBG. Almost everyone has cause to pause if their shoulder is clamped down on in this manner. I step to the back then to avoid the legs, and step over for the arm bar, boom, finish.

“I had a tight clamp here. There may have been a moment to free the shoulder from the clamp at the last minute before I fully go for the arm bar, but I would not have minded, I don’t give a f**k about the armbar, or sport jiu jitsu for that matter. Because what is my position? I am fully in position to end the fight here. Upright and on top with full torque downward striking available to me.

“Human instinct is always to connect to the body in these instances. Essentially, ‘hold on’ or ‘hug’, but get rid of this instinct if you want KO wins.

“I am looking to KO finish. I remain upright, not connected to the frame, but fully above and on top. I have 19 KOs in professional MMA. People often claim it to be my left hand standing as the shot that has awarded me my KO wins, but as usual, ‘People don’t know s**t about fighting,’ It is the positioning, accuracy and ferocity of my follow-up work that has racked up my KO wins for me.

“Take notes, please, cos I’m bored watching now, and that is the truth, and I am not alone in saying that. Lee Hammond is who I am training with here. We are flowing just, and it’s not that deep. Playing. Lee is a black belt under coach Kavanagh at SBG and recently appeared in TUF, where he was fully dominant against the eventual winner of the entire show until a lapse in concentration in the final round lead him into an unusual guillotine submission position.

“His opponent then went on to win the entire show convincingly after being down on the scorecards and on his way to defeat against Lee. Lee is the first fighter in MMA to hit a berimbolo in professional MMA and is an incredibly fast-paced attacking jiu-jitsu and striking fighter.

“I have been training with Lee since he was a young teen, and I was in my early twenties. I used to open John’s gym on a Sunday, on my own, and word got around the gym that I would do this, and Lee and his friend would be the only other two to show up. I would spar them back-to-back for hours. We still show up today. Training is going great out here, guys, hoping for some good news to break, God willing! Thank you for the support.”

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