DURING HIS JOURNEY to a world title shot, Conor McGregor’s left hand joined Jose Aldo’s leg-kicks as one of the most feared weapons in the UFC’s featherweight division.
McGregor has stopped five of his six opponents in the UFC inside the distance, and it was the southpaw’s punching power that signalled the end for Brimage, Brandao, Poirier, Siver and Mendes.
If the Dubliner can add Aldo to that list of victims in Las Vegas in 10 days’ time, he’ll be crowned the undisputed UFC featherweight champion at UFC 194.
“Conor has been in amazing shape; the best I’ve seen him,” said Straight Blast Gym fighter Peter Queally. “He’s always sharp but this time he’s absolutely on fire. He’s really strong, physically fit and he’s injury-free, which is a big thing.”
Queally, who’s nicknaked ‘The Showstopper’, is also preparing for a fight on 12 December — for the Venator FC promotion in Italy — so he and McGregor have been putting in the work together at the SBG gym on the Naas Road in recent weeks and months.
Queally competes at welterweight (170lbs), two weight classes above McGregor who’s in the featherweight division (145lbs). However, what the interim UFC champion lacks in size against bigger opponents and sparring partners, he makes up for with the power of his hands, Queally explains.
“He’s like a middleweight or a light-heavyweight the way he hits. It’s incredible. As you move down the weight classes, guys might be faster but they don’t have as much power. But Conor is an exception to that.
“He’s got the speed, the fitness, the stamina and all the attributes you’d associate with a featherweight, but he also has the power of a much, much bigger guy. It has to be felt to be believed.”
Brian Moore is another training partner who has been working alongside McGregor as he prepares to face Jose Aldo a week from Saturday.
“I have to say, Conor has looked absolutely unbelievable over the last few weeks,” Moore said. “It surprises me how much he can improve from fight-to-fight, but he does. Every time he finds a way to get even better. It’s phenomenal to see.”
Of course, both Moore and Queally are backing their team-mate to get the job done against Aldo. And not only do they expect him to end the Brazilian’s 10-year undefeated run, but they believe it won’t take long either.
“I expect a really exciting first few minutes in the fight, but then Conor will take over and beat him quite easily, I think,” Queally said. “I’d say it’ll be a late first-round or early second-round KO. It’ll be over as soon as Conor starts to land his shots.”
Moore added: “I think it’ll only take one or two rounds, to be honest, for Conor to finish Aldo. Conor is on a different level right now.”
Fantastic result. Looking forward to watching it later.
Ruddock form 6 in ireland the past 6 months – he probably on form deserves to start v SA but wd be a big call from Schmidt.
Much like Munster winning there last year, shutting up those horrible, horrible Scottish fans was very sweet.
@Peter Brophy: They booed at literally everything
@John Boyle: I think they have a large contingent of Glasgow Rangers supporters ..Nuff said..
Super win!!
A great win. I can relax now and enjoy the rest of the weekend matches.
@Gary: I concur
It’s a mystery how Rhys Ruddock isn’t Ireland’s first-choice blindside flanker. At this stage, I think it might best if Peter O’Mahony and C.J. Stander got injured so Schmidt would have no option but to select Ruddock.
@beni gabor: what an odd thing to say
@beni gabor: I think Heaslip may have played his last international. Ruddock will definitely be involved in November internationals
@Darren Byrne: how does Heaslip come into this?
@Conor Paddington: as he has been the most consistent back row in the irish set up for years but being out injured means someone else will move in to the 23. Ruddock will definitely be involved. With the likes of Conan leavey jdv all playing so well its going to be hard enough getting back in to the leinster team regularly let alone the irish set up by the time of the 6 nations.
@beni gabor: awful thing to say. I’d rather they were fit and he had to make a choice across 6 or 7 fit world class backrows.
@Elma Phudd: There’s no way Ireland have 6 or 7 world class backrowers. Maybe two or three at a stretch. There are a lot of good players out there who could be brought into the fold and introduced to international rugby to see where they stand. Stander and O’Mahony are very limited players
@Darren Byrne: He should have played his last international years ago, as should Rob Kearney and we all know it.
@beni gabor: Jesus, I’m a Leinster fan, but can’t agree with them being limited. Christ You don’t get picked to lead the Lions in a test match by being average joe.
@Elma Phudd: Gatland realised the error of his ways and dumped O’Mahony out of the side in favour of an out-of-position Sam Warburton. O’Mahony’s line-out work is sometimes to the fore, and you’re glad he’s in the team. His game is unremarkable outside the line-out, so when that’s not a centrepoint of the game, he’s largely ineffective.
Stander isn’t nimble enough to wrong-foot tacklers, and his decision-making when it comes to choosing whether to pass or run is sometimes quite poor. He’s not a cerebral player.
I don’t mean like serious injuries. Just a dislocated shoulder or something like that to keep them away from the team and unable to corrupt Ireland’s play with their backward mindset
@newbie: yet I’m here 4 years. Must have been in my blind spot up to now! I’ll put him back there.
@Rochelle: Rubbish, just your usual Leinster hating vitriol Rochelle.
@beni gabor: You do realise Ruddock captained the last tour, yeah?
@Rochelle: One of our very best players in a successful Autumn internal series less than 12 months ago.
@David Supple: pure poison laced with incredible ignorance
@Paddy O’Brien: *International. Jaysus.
Lots if us might been happy to leave with a LBP but to come away with 5 is amazing. Great performerance despite the bad conditions.
Serious contenders. Outside of the back 3 maybe, their combinations could match almost any team in Europe at this stage. Add Seanie, Isa Ringrose and Heaslip (if he can get back in the line up) and there is a legitimate claim to knocking Sarries off their perch.
@Johnny 5: I’d say Saracens would beat Leinster easily
@Johnny 5: don’t forget Lowe is yet to arrive
@Matt F: Carberry FB, Nacewa on one wing (or one of the younger guys if the improve) and Lowe on the other is pretty décent I would have thought. Irish centre partnership, and best 10 in Europe. All in all a potentially excellent backline.
@Andrew Hurley: I wouldn’t like to see 2 NIQ players in the back 3 at the same time when we have loads of young talent there in Carbery, Byrne, OLaughlin, Larmour and Daly. Those 5 players could have big futures in the green jersey, so it would be poor form if their development was blocked
@Rudiger McMonihan: they’d develop a lot better if Leinster go on a serious run in both the pro 14 and Europe. A successful Leinster side will be good for all the young players. Have a team of 23 young Irish players getting beat is no good for anyone.
A good win masking a lot of weaknesses
Especially midfield,huge amount of missed tackles again, needs to addressed to proceed.
@Martin McKenna: A great win
@Martin McKenna: Ringrose will help leaps and bounds, don’t worry too much.
Hope Daly’s injury isn’t anything too serious. Have been enjoying watching him play.
@Ciara Baines: he reminds me of the old French wingers..
It’s possible a long trip back from SA affected Glasgow in the first two rounds, all that being said I thought we managed the conditions superbly, especially in the first half. Delighted for Cian Healy to get them tries. MOTM was never in doubt for Ruddock. Hopefully we’ll have Ringrose and Isa back for the Chief’s games and James Lowe bedded in, I think player management may well become a problem, making sure everyone gets game time!!
@David Lawlor: When is Lowe due in?
@Dave Murray: His team in the Mitre cup have proceeded on to the next round, so he could be a while yet.
10pts after only 2 games means Leinster will almost certainly go through to the knockouts. Last year you needed 16 and the year before that 19. It’s hard to see them not making up that difference. I think today’s weather really helped them given the superiority of their pack and the injuries of Byrne, OLaughlin, Ringrose and Nacewa
@Rudiger McMonihan: need to rack up the points as we saw going to France in the semi was very very tough. The more the merrier
Why use two words when you can use one. The eastern province is called Leinster!
@Reg: you’ve obviously never had much interest i writing…?
@Conor Paddington: I’m not reading a novel or some great work of literature, it’s a match report and I know where Leinster is!
@Reg: Don’t let something so trivial get to you so much, it can’t be good for you.
@Reg: not as annoying as the indo who only refer to Leinster and Munster as the blues and the reds.
Great win today and 10 points is excellent from their first two matches. I’d worry about the high amount of missed tackles though.
“Finn Russell dissected the posts from the tee” … there’s a howler I haven’t seen in a while! “Bisected” is cliche you were thinking of perhaps?