http://www.mmamania.com/2015/7/14/8...-or-mma-sparring-in-training-knee-injury-mmao That explains the lack of wrestling,
Got 404'd Just looking at the link title. Connor did state that he rarely spars anyway. His initial knee tear was like a patch up job iir. Still no idea what his ground game is like though.
Conor's? Pure grappling or as utilised under the MMA ruleset? The only thing I've ever come across could hardly pass as relevant due to it being three years ago ( a 2012 no-gi with Kywan Gracie Behring ) when he was a purple so it hardly bears linking. Warn't McG supposed to have competed in a IBJJF no-gi in Rome earlier this year?
The purple belt match is a good study on posture in guard. Iirc he didn't compete this year, possibly due to his knee injury.
Sorry. I did mean in a MMA context. As said though I haven't seen (or at least remember) any of his Cage Rage fights, so it could've been different there. Apparently like Bisping, he has awesome ground game...its just that he hasn't had to use it much due to their striking and takedown defense. Regardless though, the fight happened, both guys weren't 100% (but who is?) And it was still entertaining. I still think it was weird that Mendes just got up with both his hands down and ate 2 hands when he was pretty dominant on the ground. But lots of factors to think about that we the public will never really know.
https://youtu.be/lkjwIZhT5hg My friend just found this for me. A vast contrast of what Connor was and what he is now. Crazy considering its only been like a few years difference.
That was interesting, to say the least. (BTW, I like Duffy) Conor obviously learns from his defeats and makes the necessary adjustments. Not surprising the ego-mania hadn't taken root at that time in his career, in public at least.
In fairness his coach, John Kavanagh, doesn't get enough credit. He is an amazing coach. The level of MMA and BJJ athletes he's producing in Ireland is unreal.
I rolled with John Kavanagh in a cage years back. It was at an Eddie Bravo seminar at Quannum and he just came up and asked to roll which I thought was odd. I obliged anyway. He tapped me obviously. It turned out that because I was wearing a "combatbase" rash guard he thought I was fellow SBG jiu jitsu coach (at that time anyway) Darren Currie. Heh.
Finally got round to seeing the fight (spent the weekend and a bit in leeds at europes strongest man) Fair play to Conor the guy has power and can take a shot, his escapes on the ground were good although mendes looked over eager to get a sub finish, whether its because he was hurt or because he knew he didn’t have the gas to last 5 round is any ones guess As for the fight, well neither guy was 100% by the sound of it but there was no way mendes was in shape for 5 rounds, I know team Alpha male pride themselves on staying in shape year round, but there’s a difference between being in shape and being fight ready, having a proper weight cut and the gas for 25 minutes. He also didn’t look fight sharp standing in front of conor not angling or moving well, Im sure those body kicks didn’t help his cause but I doubt a fight ready mendes would have been that flat footed But then what was mendes going to say, no thanks I don’t want a title shot im fit but not ready?? Still Conor accepted the fight change at short notice, and finished the guy in two rounds, impressive