Mendez On McGregor's Odd UFC 329 Demeanor

American Kickboxing Academy head coach Javier Mendez says Conor McGregor appeared tense and uncomfortable before tearing his ACL on the opening kick of his UFC 329 return against Max Holloway.

McGregor blew out his knee and meniscus with his first strike of the bout, falling repeatedly and forcing an anticlimactic stoppage. Footage of the Irishman hesitating while removing his shoes during the pre-fight inspection later sparked debate about whether he entered the cage already hurt.

Mendez Questions McGregor's Body Language

Mendez told NewBettingSites the former two-division champion lacked his signature swagger during the walkout. "The Conor that we saw was different," he said, per Sherdog. "The first thing that got me was his mohawk and I was like, 'What?' That struck me as a little odd. But then he didn't have that relaxed swagger."

The veteran coach recalled watching McGregor throw the same kick backstage without issue, which made the injury even stranger. "He was in the back room throwing the same kick, and he had no problem, zero problem with it," Mendez said. "But then he goes to the walkout, takes his shoes off and you notice there was something wrong there."

Mendez stopped short of confirming whether McGregor hurt himself in the warm-up or on the kick itself, noting only the fighter's corner knows for certain. "All I know is that it wasn't him that I saw," he said. "He didn't look comfortable. He looked very tense."

Reported via:

• Sherdog — Rival coach says Conor McGregor didn’t look like himself before UFC 329