Coach John Kavanagh is relieved Conor McGregor is no longer subjecting himself to extreme weight cuts to fight at featherweight.
The Crumlin fighter unified the 145lb division in 2015 when he took out the all-time record-holder José Aldo inside 13 seconds at UFC 194 in Las Vegas.
It was a fight that confirmed McGregor as the UFC’s biggest star but he never fought at that weight again and surrendered his titles due to inactivity.
McGregor has lost four of his seven fights since - including the last two to Dustin Poirier last year - but Coach Kavanagh is relieved to see his protégé at his natural weight.
A natural lightweight at 155lb, McGregor would undergo gruelling weight-cutting sessions to meet the featherweight limit, including dehydration.
And while McGregor’s aggressive weight-cutting routine was done with the supervision of medical professionals, Kavanagh is happy he’s put it behind him.
“You might have seen some extreme pictures of Conor from years ago when he was fighting in the lower weight classes in the UFC," Kavanagh said on an Instagram live session.
"They were very extreme and they were all done under the eyes of a medical professional. Even he himself wouldn’t ever go back to those weight classes now.
“It’s not healthy, and it’s not for the long term. I would encourage you to look at his more recent pictures he’s putting up on Instagram.
"Look how big and strong that looks. That’s what it is to be a fighter, get big, get strong, and be healthy for life."
McGregor is eyeing a return to the Octagon this year after serving a mandatory six-month medical ban after suffering multiple leg fractures in his trilogy defeat to Poirier in July.
The Notorious underwent surgery to repair his tibia and fibia after his leg buckled beneath him in the first round at UFC 264 in Las Vegas.
Poirier has ruled out a fourth fight with McGregor, but the idea of a best-of-three finale with Nate Diaz, who inflicted his first defeat in 2016, is an appealing one.
"That would be a way to end it wouldn't it. I think Conor only has one or two left as well," Kavanagh said.
"The Nate trilogy I just think those two guys are like Batman and the Joker, they're going to face each other forever. It's almost unimportant who wins.
"They are just perfectly made opponents. It's great fun to build up, they both snipe at each other a lot but there's a bit of the tip of the hat as well.
"They're both warriors and both great fighters, it would be lovely to see that trilogy."
