Michael Bisping defends Conor McGregor amid worrying party footage ahead of UFC 303: 'He looks lean'
28/05/2024 13:52
Hall of Fame star, Michael Bisping has jumped to the defense of former two-weight champion, Conor McGregor amid concerns from fans ahead of his UFC 303 comeback, with footage emerging over the weekend of the Dubliner partying into the early hours in his public house.
McGregor, a former undisputed lightweight and featherweight champion under the organization's banner, is slated to snap an almost three-year stay from the Octagon at the end of next month, headlining UFC 304 during International Fight Week.
Taking on former lightweight title challenger, Michael Chandler, McGregor returns to the welterweight limit for the first time in four years – coinciding with the last time he struck a victory in the promotion, in the form of a 2020 knockout win over former title challenger, Donald Cerrone.
However, ahead of the bout, McGregor – who claimed he had entered a period of sobriety ahead of his return bout, posted footage of himself partying at his Black Forge Inn public house in Walkinstown – into the early hours of the morning.
Leading to an outcry of concern, McGregor was criticized for filming himself appearing to reach into a blouse of a female party-goer whilst at the venue with his long-time partner, Dee Devlin.
Michael Bisping defends Conor McGregor pre-UFC 303
Receiving notable criticizm from fellow Irish star and UFC prospect, Caolan Loughran for allegedly being "blind drunk" less than six weeks out from his fight with Chandler, McGregor has been defended by the above-mentioned ex-middleweight titleholder, Bisping.
"Look, that's not the ideal training camp scenario," Michael Bisping said on his YouTube channel in relation to footage of Conor McGregor partying. "But if he's not doing it every night, I mean, he looks like he's lost weight when he went on that live stream last week. You probably saw clips of it. He looks to be in really good shape. Looks like he's slimmed down. He looks lean. He's obviously been training. So, ideally [not a good scenario] – but, six weeks? He'll be fine."
What’s your thoughts on Conor McGregor’s preparation for his UFC 303 return?
