Conor McGregor
Featherweight contender Conor McGregor (right) will fight Chad Mendes (not pictured) for a UFC interim featherweight title on Saturday in Las Vegas. Reuters/Stephen R. Sylvanie/USA Today Sports

The July 11 featherweight title match between Jose Aldo and top contender Conor McGregor is shaping up to be the most awaited fight of the year -- with lots of big names beginning to take notice of the hype. The latest to chime in is Hollywood actor Jean-Claude Van Damme, who went as far as offering to train “The Notorious One” to improve his striking techniques and other facets of his mixed-martial-arts arsenal.

The actor who rose to fame for his role in the “Bloodsport” movie talked at length about the qualities of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Irishman fighter when he guested in the “It’s Time” podcast of UFC commentator Bruce Buffer. Disciplined in Shotokan karate and kickboxing himself, Van Damme is intrigued by McGregor and says he can elevate his game.

"After this fight, I would love to spend some time with him to elevate the knee even better and not make mistakes. Turning around like that, it's fantastic. He's got the speed, but a guy like Aldo can get inside him. That's dangerous," Van Damme said.

While Van Damme did not hide his preference for the 26-year-old McGregor, who is making waves with his fighting style and distinct personality, connecting with a lot of mixed martial arts followers. He even compared Aldo and McGregor to a Lambhorgini and a Ferrari, respectively, citing McGregor’s streets smarts as the trait that makes him comparable to a street racing car.

The villain in the second installment of “The Expendables” franchise also did not hide his admiration for the way McGregor has announced his arrival in the fighting scene. He pointed out how the Dublin native continues to connect with the fans and how he uses his inherent smarts to propel his prominence in the Octagon. In fact, he also did not the discount the possibility of the fighter making a successful transition to Hollywood if he puts his mind into it. Check out the excerpts of Van Damme's thoughts on McGregor:

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