UFC: Conor McGregor Using Yoga, Gymnastics In Training Regimen

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) featherweight contender Conor McGregor has climbed the ranks of the sport with his charisma and bravado, a personality that was in full display during the UFC 189 world tour. The 26-year-old Irishman recently revealed that his demeanor during the tour was not a marketing ploy or a silly antic but rather part of grand plan to topple the current champion Jose Aldo on July 11.

He added that his taunts of Aldo -- including a belt-grabbing incident and a verbal threat, in Portuguese, to dispose of Aldo -- are supposed to get into the head of his Brazilian opponent and push him to train harder with just a couple of weeks leading to fight day. “The Notorious One” said he used the technique to pressure Aldo into undergoing heavy training while he resorted to freshening up his body with a variety of relaxation techniques.

"I went to the beach," McGregor told MMA Fighting. "I done yoga. I done gymnastics. I worked balance stuff. I flew out specific individuals just to train, just to keep the body fresh."

The controversial fighter knows that everything he does is geared toward changing the dynamics of mixed martial arts, from his trash talking ways to his training regimen. McGregor and his team are already setting up in Las Vegas and are eager to intensify the workout efforts prior to the match date, while Aldo is still at his world-renowned Nova Uniao Gym prepping for the anticipated title defense.

Nevertheless, Aldo teammate and sparring partner Thales Leites has gone on record that all of McGregor’s antics have not even placed a dent on the game plan of his countryman. He recently told Submission Radio that Aldo is physically and mentally fit to take on the loudmouth Irishman and assures that the champion will be 200 percent ready for the bout. Listen to Leites’ take below on the level of preparedness of Aldo: