'I'm just making sure it ain't me': Conor McGregor reflects on tragic passing of Joao Carvalho as he discusses the movement that sets him apart
- Conor McGregor sat ringside as Joao Carvalho was killed in an MMA bout
- His team-mate, Charlie Ward, was the man on the other side of the cage
- McGregor says it was a reminder to all of the dangers of entering the cage
- Irishman believes his profession should be referred to as fighting not sport
- UFC Featherweight champion says revolutionary training methods are key
Conor McGregor may seem like a man prepared for anything in the world of mixed martial arts, but that wasn't the case on October 9, 2015.
In an interview with Men's Health (www.menshealth.co.uk), The Irishman has discussed the moment he witnessed firsthand the true extent of the dangers of the profession he has dedicated his life to.
McGregor sat ringside at Dublin's National Stadium as Charlie Ward, a team-mate from his Straight Blast Gym in Ireland, defeated Portuguese fighter Joao Carvalho via third-round technical knockout.
![Conor McGregor will feature of the front page of the September edition of Men's Health](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/08/02/16/36CE06E700000578-3720003-Conor_McGregor_will_feature_of_the_front_page_of_the_September_e-a-82_1470153117791.jpg)
Conor McGregor will feature of the front page of the September edition of Men's Health
![In a feature-length interview 'The Notorious' discusses his experiences over the past few years](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/08/02/16/36CE055B00000578-3720003-In_a_feature_length_interview_The_Notorious_discusses_his_experi-a-80_1470153109865.jpg)
![McGregor reflects on what it was like to witness a fellow fighter have his life taken from him](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/08/02/16/36CE058F00000578-3720003-McGregor_reflects_on_what_it_was_like_to_witness_a_fellow_fighte-a-81_1470153113417.jpg)
In a feature-length interview 'The Notorious' discusses his experiences over the past few years
The 28-year-old was rushed to Beaumont Hospital 20 minutes after the contest having suffered significant head trauma following a sustained period of 'ground and pound.' 48 hours later he was dead.
Speaking in the September issue of the magazine, McGregor was asked how he had been affected by the tragic events of a night that shocked the MMA world.
'How do I feel?' he replied. 'How would you feel?'
'It's f***** up,' he says, finally. 'I wasn't just watching that fight. I helped train a guy to kill someone, and then someone wound up dying.
'This is a f****** dangerous game. People call it a sport, but it's fighting. I'm just making sure it ain't me. And that's f***** up.'
'Damn,' he adds after a few minutes silence. 'I still can't believe that kid is dead.'
![Joao Carvalho died tragically at the age of 28 following his bout with Charlie Ward](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/08/02/16/36CED31E00000578-3720003-Joao_Carvalho_died_tragically_at_the_age_of_28_following_his_bou-a-79_1470153102021.jpg)
Joao Carvalho died tragically at the age of 28 following his bout with Charlie Ward
![McGregor says Carvalho's passing was a reminder of just how dangerous cage fighting is](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/08/02/16/36CE067700000578-3720003-McGregor_says_Carvalho_s_passing_was_a_reminder_of_just_how_dang-a-78_1470153088341.jpg)
McGregor says Carvalho's passing was a reminder of just how dangerous cage fighting is
The UFC featherweight champion has decided to continue his life inside the octagon, in the hope that Carvalho's passing will have acted as a wake up call to referees the world over.
As he looks ahead to the toughest challenge of his career, the highly anticipated rematch with Nate Diaz at UFC 202 on August 20, the 28-year-old believes it is not only his 'notorious' power, but also his unique movement that sets him apart.
'People are so caught in a routine, doing the same things over and over,' he says. 'I want to be an expert in different fighting styles, new training methods, new ways of thinking.'
For the past few years McGregor has been working with Israeli movement specialist Ido Portal in an effort to diversify his fighting style.
![McGregor believes he has a revolutionary approach to MMA training](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/08/02/16/36CE04EC00000578-3720003-McGregor_believes_he_has_a_revolutionary_approach_to_MMA_trainin-a-74_1470153067368.jpg)
![He says he is constantly looking for new methods and new ways of thinking](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/08/02/16/36CE038800000578-3720003-He_says_he_is_constantly_looking_for_new_methods_and_new_ways_of-a-75_1470153070787.jpg)
The UFC featherweight champion believes he has a revolutionary approach to MMA training
![McGregor has been working with Israeli movement specialist Ido Portal for the past few years](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/08/02/16/36CE062B00000578-3720003-McGregor_has_been_working_with_Israeli_movement_specialist_Ido_P-a-76_1470153079365.jpg)
McGregor has been working with Israeli movement specialist Ido Portal for the past few years
![The 28-year-old says his unique training methods have made the ground become his 'friend'](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/08/02/16/36CE06C300000578-3720003-The_28_year_old_says_his_unique_training_methods_have_made_the_g-a-77_1470153083307.jpg)
The 28-year-old says his unique training methods have made the ground become his 'friend'
Together they have adopted an alternative approach to MMA training, combining such things as complex gymnastic sequences, drills that mimic the movements of animals and numerous balletic exercises centered around a bamboo stick.
'I've learned new footwork patterns that are very unusual,' said the Dubliner.
'I've learned how to find a lower centre of gravity and I've found more angles to throw shots. In a bout, I'm not just fighting another man. I'm dealing with another man and the ground. I want to understand how the ground can be my friend.'
One thing is clear, his first UFC defeat to Diaz at UFC 196 has not dampened his confidence in the slightest. 'I want this rematch so bad,' he says. 'I'll be better prepared this time. You can count on that.'
![McGregor and Nate Diaz (left) will go head-to-head for the second time at UFC 202 this month](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/08/02/16/36CED30E00000578-3720003-image-a-70_1470151407876.jpg)
McGregor and Nate Diaz (left) will go head-to-head for the second time at UFC 202 this month
The full interview appears in the September 2016 issue of Men's Health, on sale Thursday 4th August. Also available as a digital edition.
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