Conor McGregor was photographed training in a pair of Nike Air Mags ahead of his UFC return. The photos were taken at Crumlin Boxing Club in Dublin, his longtime training home. McGregor is set to return against Max Holloway at UFC 329 on July 11th in Vegas.
McGregor has not fought since July 2021, when he broke his leg during his trilogy bout with Dustin Poirier. This fight against Holloway will take place at welterweight, and it marks a rematch of their 2013 featherweight bout, which McGregor won by unanimous decision. The fight headlines International Fight Week at T-Mobile Arena.
The Nike Air Mags he wore in the training photos is one of the most recognized shoes Nike has ever made. The shoe debuted in the 1989 film Back to the Future Part II and later became a real product.
The version McGregor wore features a grey build with a white strap and light blue accents underneath. It is not a training shoe by any stretch, which makes wearing it to the gym a deliberate style choice.
McGregor has always paid attention to his image in and around training. Overall, showing up in Nike Air Mags ahead of one of the most anticipated UFC returns in recent memory fits his approach.
Conor McGregor Trains In Nike Air Mags
The Nike Air Mag has one of the more unusual origin stories in sneaker history. Nike also designed it for the 1989 film as a fictional shoe Marty McFly wears in the future.
The shoe featured a self-lacing mechanism in the film, which Nike eventually built into a real version in 2016. The 2011 charity auction version and the 2016 self-lacing release are the two main iterations that exist. Both are extremely rare.
McGregor wearing a pair to the gym signals that he either owns both or has access to a pair through his Nike connections. The Air Mag sitting alongside the Crumlin Boxing Club backdrop in Dublin also makes for a strong visual.
It mixes a very Irish, working-class training environment with one of the most expensive and sought-after sneakers in the world. That contrast also feels very on-brand for McGregor.
