CONOR MCGREGOR has drawn the ire of UFC fans with his latest training footage.
The promotion’s former poster boy is slowly but surely ramping up training ahead of his long-proposed return to the octagon.
McGregor , 37, has been putting in the work on the Thai pads during his recent stay in Italy and has since started sparring.
Footage of the former two-division champion trading heavy leather with two young sparring partners started doing the rounds on social media last weekend.
McGregor didn’t take it lightly on his training partners for the day, throwing some full-pelt shots their way.
The Dubliner’s apparent refusal to take it easy on the youngsters annoyed several MMA fans, one of whom wrote on X: “Hmmm. Not a good look for McGregor.”
Another said: “Still an embarrassing show. He is such a shell of his former self.”
And another said: “Bullying young fighters.”
One remarked: “Embarrassing, TBH.”
Another chimed in: “McGregor beating up 12-year-old kids – what a downfall.”
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Several fight fans, however, believed McGregor was giving the youngsters some invaluable experience, with one saying: “He is doing them a favour.”
Another said: “He’s a great teacher ’cause nobody will take it easy in them in the octagon.”
And another said: “Great training opportunity!”
McGregor hasn’t set foot inside the octagon since breaking his left leg in his trilogy fight with Dustin Poirier over four years ago.
He was set to make his grand cage comeback last June against Michael Chandler but withdrew from the Sin City showdown after breaking his left pinky toe.
McGregor took a major step towards returning to the cage late last month by re-entering the UFC ‘s drug testing pool.
He submitted random samples to drug testers earlier this month, both of which came back negative for any banned substances.
If McGregor fights again, his next outing will be his first since he was found civilly liable for having assaulted Nikita Hand at a Dublin hotel in December 2018.
McGregor appealed the verdict turned in at Dublin‘s High Court but lost his bid to overturn the civil verdict in July.
