In the MMA latest updates, Conor McGregor’s coach, John Kavanagh, has talked up the Notorious’ knockout power after recalling watching the fighter in his earlier days. 

McGregor was one of the most dangerous strikers in the UFC in the early parts of his career as the left hand led him to world titles.

The Irishman became the first ever person in the UFC to hold titles in two weight divisions at the same time at featherweight and lightweight.

Although that may have been the case, it appears that McGregor was always destined for greatness. Kavanagh recalled how McGregor hurt a light heavyweight during a sparring session. 

Kavanagh On McGregor

"He had incredible power for a teenager. He could spar men and guys that [were] heavier. I remember one in particular, one guy [who] was a decent light heavyweight. He was well over 90 kilos, and Conor’s this 70-kilo teenager. And he hit him one shot and stiffened him up. I’d never really seen that before," Kavanagh stated

And that knockout power was evident in his UFC career. In his debut fight in 2013, McGregor stopped Marcus Brimage in the first round to introduce himself to the MMA world.

And McGregor took things further when he stopped José Aldo at UFC 194 to stop him in just 13 seconds to secure the featherweight title. This was in addition to knocking out Eddie Alvarez at UFC 205 to win the lightweight belt.

McGregor’s Struggles

And yet, McGregor’s last stoppage was against Donald Cerrone in the first round at UFC 246. But since then, McGregor has not been the same.

The loss to Dustin Poirier was followed up with a leg injury. This has kept him out of the cage since 2021. Although McGregor has indicated his desire to comeback this year, he has not enrolled in USADA.

This requires fighters to submit two negative tests over a six-month period. And until that happens, McGregor’s past accomplishments can only keep his name relevant for so long. 

The Korean Zombie’s Belt

Meanwhile, Chan Sung Jung, The Korean Zombie, has been honored with a special belt to pay homage to his career. 

Jung walked away from MMA following his defeat to Max Holloway in August as he was stopped in the third round. That was his second loss in a row following a defeat to Alexander Volkanovski. However, he did leave his mark in the UFC.

He retired with a record of 17-6-0. This included memorable moments such as being the first ever MMA fighter to perform a twister submission in the UFC. The retirement was an emotional moment as shown through his following comments. 

"I’m gonna stop fighting. I always aim to be champion. I’m not here to be ranked third, fourth or fifth. I really believed I could beat him. I don’t think I have the opportunity anymore," Jung

Nevertheless, his achievements have now been recognised by a custom-made belt. It is not exactly clear who had given the belt, but the Korean Zombie was shy in showing it to his fanbase. 

Korean Zombie was given a custom WEC/UFC Zombie belt pic.twitter.com/Hy23CMu2SL

— Bloody Elbow (@BloodyElbow) September 26, 2023