Weight cutting is a brutal process and few fighters have shown that like Conor McGregor. The UFC featherweight champion has left his division behind in recent months in his rivalry with Nate Diaz (with both fights being contested at 170 pounds), who is competing close to his natural weight. The side-by-side of a hydrated and healthy McGregor and the withered version last seen at the UFC 194 weigh-ins is a jarring sight.
Here is McGregor at Friday's weigh-ins:
And here's a shot of McGregor at the open work-outs on Thursday:
This is basically the McGregor that most fans know now, and it's a McGregor that looks the part of an excellent fighter.
McGregor weighed in 168 for both UFC 196 and 202. Looked much better on scale today though. He was bloated 196, looked fit today.
— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) August 19, 2016
One could also make the case that he looks better than the McGregor that showed up at UFC 196:
McGregor wore his muscle at 196, but looks a bit leaner for 202. That's an important note as he chalks up his UFC 196 loss to a lack of cardio. He wouldn't be the first fighter to have his performance suffer from a lack of discipline after moving up in weight.
This brings us to the 145-pound McGregor that showed up at UFC 194:
The difference is plain. His face is shrunken in, his torso is sunken and he's considerably less muscular. It's an ugly sight and a testament to the amazing lengths that fighters have to go through to cut weight.
Worth noting is that McGregor's future most likely lies outside of the welterweight division. But it's unclear if he will, or even can, go back down to 145 pounds. That makes his weight an important factor to watch in the coming months.
