Conor McGregor’s body transformation from skinny star into ripped powerhouse
Conor McGregor will take on Dustin Poirier at UFC 257 in the lightweight division on Saturday, matching the 155lb limit – but he has fought at several different weights in his career.
The Notorious will return to the Octagon for the first time in a year, when he beat Donald Cerrone in just 40 seconds.
It marks a rematch between the 32-year-old and the American after a six-year wait – but they are fighting for the first time in the lightweight category, one class above their previous featherweight bout.
McGregor has fought in three weight divisions, the third being the heavier welterweight class, over his famous UFC career.
And it has seen the Irishman make some huge changes to his body over that time.
The Notorious started his MMA career in 2008, taking on Gary Morris in the featherweight division.
And he sported a very skinny frame, with his long arms and thin legs opening his account in just three rounds of combat.
Having fought in March, his step up to the lightweight division came nine months later as he faced Stephen Bailey.
It is clear to see the muscle has been built to climb the 10lb for the weight division.
His first time on the UFC stage came five years later, fighting Marcus Brimage at featherweight after floating twice between the weight classes.
But his body was already battle-hardened, showing off massive abs and bulging arms on his victorious start.
When Poirier came calling a year later, though, the weight had to come off – and it showed with a leaner look at the weigh in.
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A dominating period of fighting followed, taking the UFC Featherweight Championship and defending it against Jose Aldo in 2015.
McGregor had made himself look even stronger, bulking up his legs and chest and making sure he was 100 per-cent muscle for the bout.
This allowed an easier transition into the heavier welterweight division against Nate Diaz in his next fight.
But the experienced fighter, who had also climbed up the weights, used his six years of experience in that weight class to see off his rival.
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Winning the rematch and then beating Eddie Alvarez for the Lightweight Championship, Floyd Mayweather came calling.
And McGregor's debut in the boxing ring saw him fight at welterweight, which comes in at the same 155lb limit as UFC's lightweight division.
This saw him pack on some huge arm muscles while beefing out the shoulders for some big hits on the 50-fight undefeated star.
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While it helped defend against Money's hits, the extra muscle did not stop Khabib Nurmagomedov in his defence of the Lightweight Championship two years ago.
Taking time away from the ring, The Notorious shared images on Instagram of his bulking frame.
The Irishman's arms were bulging with power while his legs were even bigger than before.
And it held him in good stead for a short fight against Cerrone at the welterweight class, hanging onto it for UFC 257.
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McGregor has been training for his rematch against Poirier for the last 12 weeks, making a big diet change for the Fight Island bout too.
It has even seen his coach John Kavanagh comment on how much The Notorious has changed his figure over the years.
He said: My dad keeps ringing me scared that Conor’s after putting on too much weight because he looks like a tank at this stage.
“But weight is on track. Everything’s on track both physically and mentally.
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"My dad keeps ringing me scared that Conor’s after putting on too much weight because he looks like a tank at this stage.
"We actually came across a video of him from after the first Diaz fight, however long ago that was.
“He’s almost unrecognisable looking at the difference between the fights.
“He’s really developed as a professional athlete and at 32, he’s entering his physical and mental prime. So we’re in for some good times."
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