While he might not have a date set for his UFC return, Conor
McGregor is still working on his overall game.
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The former UFC two-division champion announced Monday on social
media that he received his Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt.
“Received my black belt tonight from my coach, friend, and mentor,
[John
Kavanagh] of [SBG Ireland]. 20 years of hard work!” McGregor
wrote. “Thank you John for everything over the years, and to all of
my team mates throughout this incredible jiu jitsu journey! Thank
you all so much from the bottom of my heart! A Brazilian jiu jitsu
black belt, wow! Praise be to God and then Helio. I’ll be in the Gi
in it tomorrow Helio, I promise, and I cannot wait.”
McGregor, who is best known for his knockout power, hasn’t
displayed his grappling often during his MMA career, as he has just
one submission among 22 professional triumphs — and none in the
UFC. McGregor is supposed to face fellow “Ultimate Fighter 31”
coach Michael
Chandler at an as yet to be announced date. However, the Dublin
native has yet to re-enter the USADA drug testing pool, which makes
it unclear when that fight might occur.
McGregor hasn’t competed since UFC 264, when he suffered a broken
leg in a first-round TKO loss to Dustin
Poirier on July 10, 2021.