Science bitch!
Professor Greg Whyte, a sports scientist, has described Conor McGregor as 'the complete package' after he tested McGregor for pretty much every physical aspect an elite athlete might need.
Whyte said:
Scientifically speaking, they [MMA fighters] demonstrate excellence in all areas. For example, a marathon runner may outrun Conor but would have nowhere near his strength. They are the jack of all trades and the master of one – that one is fighting.
Speaking about McGregor specifically, Whyte said he has the strength endurance of an elite rugby player while also having the aerobic capacity of a Premier League footballer:
His VO2 max is similar to a Premier League midfielder.
They run 10-12km a game with short breaks whereas Conor competes for up to 25 minutes. That is all-out effort and his endurance capacity is right up there with the best midfielders. It is his ability to recover before returning to his peak which is impressive and those values are similar to those of footballers.
To put it into context, despite his 5'8'' and 145 pound frame, McGregor got through 23 full extension pull-ups and burpees in 30 seconds. I defy anyone to do that. I'd manage three max.
Whyte compared him to a rugby scrum-half due to his power to weight ratio but when it comes to the ability to sustain that power he operates on another level:
His strength and power is impressive but it is his capacity to sustain this that makes him elite. It is comparable with a sprint canoeist (they have huge upper body strength) in terms of sustaining bursts of output.
While Whyte has any amount of physical data comparing MMA fighters to other sports stars, he next wants to start examining the mental aspect of their conditioning:
I became interested after studying their physiological variables.
They perform fantastically as Conor did, but what you cannot measure is their toughness or psychological capacity. All the elite athletes I work with have this capacity to drive themselves into the ground even when they are in pain.
I think anyone that follows McGregor will be able to tell Whyte that as far as mentality goes, he's on a planet of his own.
hat-tip: Sky Sports
