Mixed martial arts (MMA), a volatile and ever-growing combat sport that attracts thousands of well-equipped men and women from around the world, holds a prominent place in the realm of movement.
And one of the elite movers among the hundreds of fighters who comprise the 10 weight divisions of Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is none other than interim Featherweight titleholder Conor McGregor.
"Notorious," a former amateur boxer in his native Ireland, has utilized distance and angles quite efficiently during his 20-month tenure in ZUFFA, so much that it took him just five trips to the Octagon to capture gold.
"He's one of the more efficient and more mobile, smarter and lighter performers," movement expert and martial arts practitioner Ido Portal recently told MMAmania.com. "There's been some amazing movers in the MMA game -- Anderson Silva and Jon Jones to name big names. Conor, right now, is taking it to the next level, maybe even in a more diverse fashion."
Portal spent roughly one week with McGregor at his Straight Blast Gym in Dublin, Ireland, earlier this month, working with him on ways he can be more free flowing. He has also worked with other talented fighters like undefeated Bellator Welterweight Michael Page.
McGregor, a self-proclaimed master of movement, was already a follower of Portal, whose traveled the world, learning from a variety of teachers such as osteopaths, yogis and dancers.
The 27-year-old took lessons on balance and was busy dodging strikes from a bamboo stick, all the while contorting his body multiple ways.
When watching McGregor fight, one part of his MMA repertoire that becomes easily distinguishable is his movement. His reaction time is extraordinary and that allows him to carry the confidence he needs to fuel his aggression in the early moments of a fight.
"He's very technical and intelligent and able to avoid all kinds of situations that might be problematic for him," Portal remarked. "I think one of his biggest attributes is just very strong clarity and the more pressure there is, the more clear and more sharp he becomes."
McGregor welcomes the spotlight that has followed him since his UFC debut in April 2013, providing highlight after highlight and an array of bold soundbites that would make Muhammad Ali proud.
Over the course of the last two years, McGregor has also used the Octagon to showcase his expansive weaponry, which includes an abundance of rangy kicks.
The amount of force he's able to generate with his kicks opens the door for his wicked left hand.
Just checkout the amount of angular force McGregor is able to generate with his hips from launching one of his patented spinning back kicks at Daniel Cormier in the above video produced by California State University of Fullerton (via Bleacher Report).
It's on-par with professional golfers, who are always needing to generate power from their core on long swings.
More often than not, McGregor's use of said kicks is often misinterpreted by the average spectator.
"These tools are used to manage distance and timing and to set rhythm. Conor has been using kicks very efficiently for those goals," Portal said.
Though McGregor is unequivocally always searching for the fastest route to secure a knockout, his goals in the Octagon mirror those outside of it, which is making a lot of money.
He did so with his come-from-behind performance at the UFC 189 pay-per-view (PPV) last July.
McGregor was matched up with two-time title challenger Chad Mendes for the interim 145-pound belt following a well-documented rib injury to champion Jose Aldo.
After the Team Alpha Male-trained product raced out to a fast start, landing takedown after takedown in rounds one and two, "Money" was spent and wilted under the onslaught of incoming haymakers from the Irishman.
The "W" brought tears to his eyes and smiles to the faces of UFC brass and business partners, Dana White and Lorenzo Fertitta, as the trio collected on the year's largest gate for a PPV event.
It was announced after the fact by McGregor that he fought through adversity just to appear before the Las Vegas crowd. Then, he would announce in October that 80 percent of his ACL was torn (via Bloody Elbow) prior to his main event spot.
With multiple injuries to his ACL, not competing would seem like a logical option for most fighters, but not if you know McGregor.
"First of all, he's a badass. He doesn't complain and he won't -- it'll have to be a f--king bulldozer to run him over to stop him from competing and coming in," Portal said, adding. "It's definitely possible to compete without an ACL -- even with a full tear in certain cases. There has to be a very smart, strong muscular system to protect you."
Injury or no injury, you can count on McGregor to make the walk to the Octagon for a title unification tussle with his Brazilian adversary Aldo at UFC 194 on Dec. 12, 2015.
Aldo has taken the necessary precautions and is looking awfully dangerous ahead of their blockbuster pairing.
The 29-year-old is a proficient Muay Thai-striker and has bludgeoned the legs of the many opponents put before him.
However, Portal is confident that his work with McGregor will pay off and end with him unifying the 145-pound titles to become UFC's undisputed featherweight champion.
"I think he will do very well against Aldo," Portal said. "Aldo has had the chance to work like a sniper before, waiting for a sitting target and once it's standing there, he just shoots it. With Conor, the game is a little bit different. The kicks would be responded with very quick and immediate responses."
For the complete UFC 194: "Aldo vs. McGregor" fight card, click here, and be on the lookout for my full Q&A with Ido prior to the event this weekend at MMAmania.com.