In five weeks’ time, Conor McGregor is scheduled to make his first walk to the Octagon in five years when he rematches Max Holloway in the main event of UFC 329 on July 11 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Back when they first met in 2014, SBG was considered among the strongest teams in Europe. There were a host of celebrated fighters on the Dublin gym’s mats to help McGregor prepare for what would go on to be one of the most storied runs in the history of the promotion.
Among his training partners were future TUF alum and Cage Warriors welterweight champion Cathal Pendred, lightweight standout Philip Mulpeter, future Bellator title challenger Peter Queally, flyweight submission specialist Paddy Holohan and perhaps his most famous simulated dance partner, Artem Lobov.
With many of the aforementioned fighters retired, no longer affiliated with John Kavanagh’s SBG or both, McGregor has been forced to bring in new faces over the course of his career.
Although there will likely be more familiar faces involved when he moves the camp stateside, let’s take a look at who has been helping him get ready for his welterweight showdown with Holloway so far.
Lee Hammond (6-1-0)
Hammond has been a fixture in McGregor’s training camps for over a decade. He began training at SBG as a child and developed a reputation for his jiu-jitsu skillset as a teenager. He was a part of the team at the Mac Mansion ahead of McGregor’s 2015 interim featherweight title win against Chad Mendes.
Hammond was a cast member on season 31 of The Ultimate Fighter: Team McGregor vs. Team Chandler, where he suffered a quarterfinals submission loss to Kurt Holobaugh. His most recent outing came under the WOW FC banner where he claimed a first-round submission win over Nicolas Santos. The win over Santos also marked his first professional outing as a welterweight after competing at lightweight and featherweight for his entire career up until that point.
Eoin Sheridan (5-0-0)
One of the most hyped prospects under the SBG banner, the rangy, undefeated welterweight stands a staggering 6-foot-5. In his most recent bout, Sheridan defeated Chris Mixan via unanimous decision at PFL Belfast. “The Sheriff” was also a training partner for Michael “Venom” Page ahead of his recent UFC London bout.
Darragh Kelly (9-1-0)
The Donegal lightweight was one of the success stories of SBG’s alignment with Bellator. He made his professional debut with the promotion in 2022 and recorded six wins under the banner before the promotion folded. He continued his winning ways with PFL up until he stepped in to take Paul Hughes’ place in the main event of PFL Belfast, where he suffered a first-round knockout against New Zealand’s Jay Jay Wilson. Kelly is best known for his grappling ability and submission skills.
Nicolò Solli (6-3-0)
The Italian welterweight has been a fixture in McGregor’s preparation for Holloway. He competed under the Bellator banner six times, amassing a record of 3-2-0 (1 NC), and has since moved on to fighting for Cage Warriors. So far, he’s 2-1-0 with the Graham Boylan promotion, tasting defeat in his most recent bout in April against his undefeated countryman Andrea Kabali, who won by unanimous decision.
Emanuel Bakaj (2-2-0)
The Italian lightweight has been frequenting SBG for the last five years and, based on his Instagram posts, has been training alongside McGregor for more than two years. This week, the 25-year-old declared he had been called up to participate in the Irishman’s UFC 329 camp. He last competed at an Italian regional event, Purple in the Cage, where he claimed a unanimous decision over Sane Nithiya.
Rogger Lopez (0-5-0)
Conor McGregor's sparring partners: Let's break
The featherweight is somewhat of a surprise addition to the McGregor team. He’s competed five times across five years in professional mixed martial arts and has yet to claim victory. His last outing saw him lose a unanimous decision to debuting professional Andrew Barrett at Clan Wars 53.
Craig Kavanagh (0-0-0)
Although McGregor has previously used boxers like Conor Wallace for his second act with Nate Diaz and Dylan Moran for his rematch with Dustin Poirier, this appears to be the first time he’s used an amateur boxer. The addition of a striking specific sparring partner like Kavanagh is likely a nod to where many people see this fight taking place — on the feet with little or no grappling.
