Conor McGregor says he’d “slap around” the version of himself that beat Eddie Alvarez

Back at UFC 205 in 2016, Conor McGregor produced one of the most impressive wins of his career, knocking out Eddie Alvarez to become the first concurrent two-division champ in UFC history.

Speaking on Instagram on Thursday, McGregor reflected on that fight, which went down inside New York City’s hallowed Madison Square Garden. He added that the McGregor of the year 2020 would slap the 2016 version of McGregor around — a testament to the growth he’s achieved since this history-making win.

 

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Throwback to walking into the belly of Madison Square Garden, New York City in anticipation of my dual weight title fight. 2016. To think I’d slap him around now is amazing. Frightening almost. I do need a hair cut though.

A post shared by Conor McGregor Official (@thenotoriousmma) on Apr 16, 2020 at 3:31pm PDT

“Throwback to walking into the belly of Madison Square Garden, New York City in anticipation of my dual weight title fight,” McGregor wrote. “2016. To think I’d slap him around now is amazing. Frightening almost. I do need a hair cut though.”

Conor McGregor last fought in January, when he returned from a lengthy hiatus to take on Donald Cerrone. It took him just 40 seconds to seal the deal with a series of shoulder strikes, a head kick, and a volley of ground strikes. While it’s not clear if the version of McGregor that beat Cerrone would beat the version of McGregor who beat Alvarez, he certainly looked lethal in his most recent appearance.

At present, McGregor does not have a fight booked. That being said, he remains a big player in both the lightweight and welterweight divisions, and could find himself in big fights in either division when the coronavirus pandemic subsides.

2016 Conor McGregor or 2020 Conor McGregor: Who do you think wins?

This article first appeared on BJPENN.com on 4/16/2020.