VIDEO | Conor McGregor dominates boxing champ in MMA sparring session

Back in 2013, ahead of his fight with Max Holloway, Conor McGregor stepped into the cage for an MMA sparring session with former WBC featherweight champ Patrick Hyland.

Suffice it to say it did not go well for the boxer. See the pair’s lopsided training session below:

The footage, which was filmed by McGregor’s long-time coach John Kavanagh and recently released by The Mac Life, shows McGregor immediately taking Hyland down.

“What do I do?” Hyland yelled with a laugh as his back hits the mat, moments before McGregor climbed seamlessly into mount.

After this schooling on the ground, the pair returned to the feet. Despite his accolades as a former WBC champ and his solid, 31-3 pro boxing record, Hyland had no answer for McGregor’s far more expansive striking toolkit. After eating a few kicks, the boxer even attempted a takedown of his own — which of course ended in disaster.

“Oh so you’re a wrestler now?” McGregor joked.

McGregor, as many fans know, went on to defeat Max Holloway by decision. He then rattled off a procession of impressive wins over the likes of Diego Brandao and Dustin Poirier before capturing the interim featherweight belt with a win over Chad Mendes. He then won the undisputed title with 13 second knockout win over Jose Aldo.

After a pair of welterweight wars with Nate Diaz, McGregor captured the UFC lightweight belt with a flawless victory over Eddie Alvarez. He then made a move to the boxing ring for a blockbuster battle with Floyd Mayweather. While McGregor lost this fight by late TKO, the Irishman did surprisingly well in the ring — certainly better than Mayweather would have in MMA.

McGregor has fought twice since that boxing match, first losing to Khabib Nurmagomedov by submission, then defeating Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone by 40-second TKO.

What do you think of this MMA sparring session between Conor McGregor and Patrick Hyland?

This article first appeared on BJPENN.com on 5/4/2020.