Conor McGregor’s nutritionist explains why it’s harder to move up a weight class than it is to drop down

Conor McGregor revealed recently that he has called upon the services of George Lockhart to help him prepare for his next fight.

The famed nutritionist has worked with several MMA stars over the years including Rory MacDonald, Jon Jones, Dustin Poirier and helped the Notorious with his cut for his title-winning performance at UFC 194. However, with McGregor setting his sights on a welterweight do-over against Nate Diaz for his next trip to the Octagon, even if Dana White thinks it may not happen, Lockhart will have to help the Dubliner pack on the pounds properly to make 170 lbs. https://twitter.com/SportsJOEdotie/status/737914486477225988?lang=en Speaking on the Three Amigos Podcast, Lockhart broke down why moving up a weight division is actually tougher than cutting. He explained that it isn't as simple as eating and lifting more and doing it the wrong way may really hinder a fighters' performance inside the cage.

"A lot of people think that cutting is difficult, but honestly, going up a weight class is even harder. If you're a naturally bigger guy, obviously this doesn't pose the same problems, but people seem to think that all you have to do is just eat more food and lift weights, and your performance will increase."

"What will happen is you'll slow down dramatically, and in this sport, speed is everything - speed, power, and cardio is king. You start adding on unwanted pounds, just adding on worthless weight, not only are you going to slow down, you're going to gas out quicker, and your performance is going to decrease a lot."

"At the end of the day, it's actually harder to gain weight properly than it is to lose it and still increase your performance."