LOOK: Conor McGregor gets BJJ black belt ahead of UFC return
By Amy Kaplan
Former two-division UFC champion Conor McGregor has reached the pinnacle of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu as it was revealed that he earned his black belt.
The belt was awarded by McGregor's longtime coach, John Kavanagh at SBG Ireland, where McGregor made famous so many years ago.
"Received my black belt tonight from my coach, friend, and mentor, John Kavanagh of SBG Ireland," McGregor wrote on Instagram. "20 years of hard work! Thank you John for everything over the years, and to all of my teammates throughout this incredible jiu-jitsu journey! Thank you all so much from the bottom of my heart! A Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, wow! Praise be to God and then Helio. I’ll be in the Gi in it tomorrow Helio, I promise, and I cannot wait!! What a buzz."
'20 years of hard work!' Conor McGregor reacts to BJJ black belt honor
McGregor has yet to secure a submission finish in his UFC career but did win at Cage Warriors 47 in 2012 via rear-naked choke.
After the news broke McGregor shared a tweet from 2013 where he predIcted he'd have two gold belts, a BJJ blackbelt, and $25 million in the bank.
Recently McGregor has been teasing his return to the Octagon, most likely against Michael Chandler sometime in early 2024. He was recently spotted training with Ian Garry in Ireland but has yet to enter the USADA testing pool, at press time.
He also posted several photos wearing his street clothes with the black belt enjoying beers with friends at his pub in Ireland.