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MMA

13th Nov 2016

Cathal Pendred’s confidence in SBG stablemate Conor McGregor made him a pretty penny

Complete trust in his teammate's ability

Darragh Murphy

Cathal Pendred owes his Straight Blast Gym teammate a pint or two.

‘The Punisher’ may not compete professionally any more, having retired from MMA almost a year ago, but he remains an active member of the SBG family.

Pendred reportedly spent plenty of time with Conor McGregor in the run-up to the UFC featherweight champion’s clash with lightweight champ Eddie Alvarez in the main event of UFC 205.

Pendred’s grinding clinch game against the fence was used to replicate the strategy that McGregor anticipated he would face on Saturday night and it clearly worked as ‘The Notorious’ stuffed all three of Alvarez’s takedown attempts en route to a second round knockout of ‘The Underground King’.

Everyone in the McGregor camp had suggested that Alvarez would indeed become the latest victim of the Irishman’s heavy left hand, which is exactly what happened.

And Pendred was so confident in the outcome that he proudly showed off a big-money bet prior to the fight.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BMuc3qQAG85/?taken-by=cathal_pendred

It’s one thing showing off one’s winning bets but to be confident enough to make public a £1500 stake hours before the opening bell shows just how sure Pendred was of the result.