![When Thor Bjornsson discussed his sparring session with Conor McGregor. [Image courtesy: Getty Images; @thorbjornsson on Instagram]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2024/06/c474c-17187741557713-1920.jpg)
![When Thor Bjornsson discussed his sparring session with Conor McGregor. [Image courtesy: Getty Images; @thorbjornsson on Instagram]](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http%3A//www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20xmlns%3Axlink='http%3A//www.w3.org/1999/xlink'%20viewBox='0%200%2010%206.25'%3E%3Cfilter%20id='b'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20stdDeviation='.5'%3E%3C/feGaussianBlur%3E%3CfeComponentTransfer%3E%3CfeFuncA%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20type='discrete'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20tableValues='1%201'%3E%3C/feFuncA%3E%3C/feComponentTransfer%3E%3C/filter%3E%3Cimage%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20filter='url(%23b)'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Back in 2015, a video of a light sparring session between UFC star Conor McGregor and Hafthor Bjornsson, better known as 'The Mountain' from 'Game of Thrones,' went viral.
The size difference was staggering - Bjornsson, a strongman competitor, weighed nearly 250 pounds more than the featherweight McGregor at the time.
Check out the sparring clip below:
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In a 2021 interview on the IMPAULSIVE podcast, Bjornsson revisited the session, suggesting he could have easily overpowered McGregor. During the sparring, McGregor, noticeably lighter and faster, used his movement to tire out the massive strongman.
However, when Bjornsson managed to grab hold of him in a clinch, he admitted to feeling like he could have "crushed" McGregor.
Speaking to Logan Paul, he said:
"It was cool. I had a lot of fun... There was a time where I had a grab of him and I felt like I could crush this guy but he had a fight with (Jose) Aldo a week later. So I was like 'I better be nice to him because I don't wanna injure him right now. He is about to have the biggest fight of his life. It's gonna be huge for him.' That fight actually sent him to the moon. So, he should thank me and probably pay me a bit (for not injuring him). After that fight, he just took the sky."
Check out Bjornsson's conversation with Logan Paul below:
What did Conor McGregor say about the sparring session with Hafthor Bjornsson?
While Thor Bjornsson claimed he held back during their 2015 sparring session, Conor McGregor refuted the idea of Bjornsson going easy on him. The former two-division champ insisted that he "folded him up" during the session despite Bjornsson's massive size advantage. He further claimed Bjornsson wasn't holding back but actively trying to overpower him.
Speaking in an interview 'The Notorious' said:
"That was a lot of fun. That's a big man. Six foot nine, 400 pounds and I still folded him up. I had to hit him with some shots. He was trying to hit me as well. People were saying 'oh, he was taking it easy.' He tried to grab me and tried to pull my head off and I defended."
Check out Conor McGregor's comments below:
