Conor McGregor has been accused of photoshopping pictures to show off his new "transformed" body after ballooning to 190lb.
The UFC superstar has been out of action since last year after breaking his leg, but has made a return to training as he eyes a comeback in 2023. Just weeks after his injury occurred, McGregor showed off a huge 190lb frame which was a 35lb jump from his fighting weight in defeat by Dustin Poirier.
McGregor has been posting images of himself looking extremely ripped and in great shape, even joking that he currently tips the scales as a heavyweight. The Irishman regularly documents his journey on social media, and makes sure to show off his stocky new build.
However fitness YouTuber 'More Plates More Dates' has claimed McGregor's physique appears bigger than he is naturally capable of reaching. He said during a discussion of McGregor's weight on his YouTube channel: "He is a transformed human, seemingly unrecognisable. He literally looks like Dorian Yates reincarnate from years ago.
"Some of these photo's he's been dropping of his absurd physique. Some of them look suspiciously photoshopped to me, that's how cranked this guy looks right now. Relative to what I believe, he's naturally capable of." A fan had already questioned a previous image of McGregor being photoshopped last year after he showed off huge biceps in an image in his Black Forge Inn pub.
However the 34-year-old had his say, responding: ” No. I’m just that much of a brick wall that I’m camouflaged with the brick wall in the back.” McGregor has been out of action for nearly two years now, but has suggested his new 190lb frame will point to a return at 170lb.
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McGregor is confident that return will come sooner rather than later. UFC president Dana White revealed the Dubliner would be required to be in the USADA testing pool for six months prior to any competitive action, but the Irishman intends to re-enrol and book a fight in February.
It is expected he will now need to make around a 20lb cut to return fighting weight, and his coach John Kavanagh previously explained his new bulk has come from lifting weights during the early stages of his rehabilitation. “You know, Conor is a very hard trainer and he’s not going to go to the gym and mess around,” Kavanagh told Fox Sports. “The only thing he could go is lift weights.
"So guess what? He lifted all the weights. In terms of am I worried in a couple months time he’ll struggle with the weight? No. He’s made weight for 15 years, never missed once. For all his boxing fights, all his MMA fights, he’s never missed his weight class once."
