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Conor McGregor is widely regarded as one of the best strikers in MMA. Although McGregor can swiftly transition between stances, the Irishman predominantly fights in the southpaw stance with his left hand as his primary weapon.
Unlike most UFC fighters, Conor McGregor does not fight in a squared boxing-like posture when striking with his opponents. Instead, 'The Notorious One' adopts a Karate stance (a sideways posture). McGregor uses his right hand to jab his opponents while also gaging distance with it. This stance additionally allows Conor McGregor to pivot on his left foot to generate torque that makes his left hand even more lethal. As he throws the straight left, the Irishman rotates his shoulders to extend his arm forward.
Along with top-notch distance management skills, Conor McGregor is also renowned in the UFC for possessing the best counter striking abilities. At UFC 194, McGregor knocked out former UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo within 13 seconds of the first round.
Aldo fell prey to Conor McGregor's left hand as the Brazilian tried to lunge in with a right hand. The Notorious One often uses this technique when his opponents rush at the Irishman to evade the right jab. This countering ability was on full display at UFC 205 when Eddie Alvarez tried to change elevation, but McGregor's left-hand counter was just too quick for the former lightweight champion to handle.
Conor McGregor ditched his karate stance at UFC 257 against Dustin Poirier
At UFC 257, Conor McGregor switched to a more boxing-oriented style to fight the former interim champion, Dustin Poirier. The Irishman was heavy on his feet, which is unlike McGregor. This stance made him vulnerable to Poirier's calf kicks.
'The Diamond' kept investing in leg strikes, which eventually paid off in the second round when McGregor was left immobilized because of excruciating pain. With this victory, Poirier avenged his UFC 178 loss to Conor McGregor. The Straight Blast Gym disciple had blitzed Poirier with a straight left followed by a barrage of punches on the ground.
It will be interesting to see if Conor McGregor resumes striking with the karate stance for the rubber match that is being targeted for July 2021.
