'Karate Stance' Conor McGregor is back! Stephen Thompson gives exclusive insight into TUF behind-the-scenes interaction

Conor McGregor enlisted the support of former two-time UFC welterweight title challenger Stephen Thompson in episode 4 of The Ultimate Fighter season 31. Thompson, who shared his experience and knowledge with McGregor's team of prospects, also shared details of behind-the-scenes interaction with 'The Notorious' and what fans can expect when the Irishman makes his octagon return.

MMA fans were captivated by Conor McGregor's thrilling karate-heavy approach during his meteoric rise in the UFC. As of late, however, McGregor has steered towards a more boxing-centered approach, notably evident in his second fight against rival Dustin Poirier at UFC 257.

Although McGregor did exhibit fleeting moments of his trademark karate-style onslaught in the rubber match against Poirier at UFC 264, his chance to fully showcase his skills was abruptly cut short by the horrific leg break he sustained in the opening round of the bout.

Amidst the anticipation of fight fans curious to witness Conor McGregor's octagon return, Stephen Thompson has provided intriguing insights based on his recent encounter with the former UFC two-division champion. Speaking in a recent episode of the podcast The Breakdown, Thompson stated:

"The Conor McGregor I loved to watch is the Jose Aldo McGregor, where he had that karate style... And then he got into boxing and became more of that kind of a boxing style. Kind of standing and plotting forward and kind of lost that [karate] style. But the Conor that I saw that weekend was the Conor of old [times]."

Speaking about McGregor's current weight, Thompson added:

"He's big for his weight for sure. Is he a natural [welterweight]? No!... It's a different weight class man. [But] you see him now, he looks a lot bigger, the neck, the shoulders. He knows how to make himself look a lot bigger."

Catch Stephen Thompson's comments below (5:00):

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Conor McGregor hails Stephen Thompson as a master of distance management

Stephen Thompson recently received high appreciation from Conor McGregor for his coaching work on season 31 of The Ultimate Fighter.

In episode 4 of TUF, McGregor sought Thompson's help by inviting him to lead a training session. 'Wonderboy' drew on his years of Kempo karate experience to train McGregor's team of prospects, placing particular emphasis on cultivating explosive movement both within and outside of striking range.

Speaking about Thompson's mastery of distance management, McGregor stated:

"Wonderboy is one of the best distance management practitioners in the game. He is a phenomenal athlete and a phenomenal technician. We’ve got a few days before our next weigh-in, so I wanted to utilize Stephen to get the lads nice and loose and nimble."

Catch McGregor's comments below: