Photo credit: Images taken from an upcoming documentary chronicling Conor McGregor's journey to his UFC 189 title bout with Jose Aldo.

Tom Egan drives the team van towards the UFC training center as the "Mac Mansion" crew get ready for their daily session. Artem Lobov is riding shotgun. Featherweight title contender Conor McGregor took off beforehand in his Ford Mustang along with his long-term girlfriend Dee Devlin, with a view to meeting the others at the infamous TUF gym.

Owen Roddy is reliving the visit of Arnold Schwarzenegger to the Henderson estate earlier that day with Frans Mlambo and Joey Breslin in the back, and everybody is getting in on the fun. Egan seems the most affected by the meeting with his childhood hero. His accurate impressions of the Austrian begin a debate about which of the cult hero’s movies they will be watching later.

James Gallagher and Lee Hammond are constantly going back and forth, a big burst of laughter breaks the pitter patter of their conversation every few seconds. "Arnie" is a bit before their time but Roddy and Breslin assure them that they will get their education based on tonight’s viewing back at the mansion. It’s a toss up between Predator and Commando.

While everyone breaks off into their separate conversations, the smiles on Egan’s and Lobov’s faces are swapped for more serious demeanors.

“Everybody shut up for a second, how much food do we have left in the house?” asks Lobov.

“There’s only enough eggs to do us ’til the morning,” Breslin tells him.

“How many steaks do we have left?” asks Roddy.

“We’ve got steaks and ribs but we’ll have to go and get more soon,” Lobov tells him.

“I’m gonna cut back on my meat, I’m eating too much,” adds Hammond.

“Okay guys we’ll all go up to the store in the morning and we’ll get a load of salad and meat, is everyone cool with that?” ponders Egan before a resounding yes travels from Lobov beside him right back to Mlambo at the back of the vehicle.

This is no holiday for the group of martial artists. Although it’s unknown whether Lobov’s recent bid to make it to the TUF house has been successful, as McGregor’s primary sparring partner, his presence is vital for the contender’s title hopes. Such is the loyalty of "The Russian Hammer" that he claimed he would give up a place in the TUF house to help McGregor for his world title fight before he had gone to the tryouts. He, like everyone else, is here for “the greater good.”

Similarly with Roddy, the Irish MMA legend left his young family back in Dublin after McGregor insisted that he would need him for his Las Vegas training camp. ‘Rowdy’ was initially unsure whether he could make the trip but it was his partner Kellie that convinced him that he had to go on the journey. With all of the hype surrounding the surging Irish featherweight back on the Emerald Isle, Roddy’s involvement is nearly a matter of national service.

Gallagher and Mlambo are preparing for the IMMAF amateur world championships that are due to take place in the week leading up to McGregor’s clash with Jose Aldo. Although he is only 18, Gallagher has clocked up 17 amateur bouts having begun his career at 14 years old. His professional bow is more eagerly anticipated than any other amateur’s in recent memory. Mlambo has won plaudits throughout his amateur career for his pugilistic showings. Travelling to China in his pursuit of competition and now Las Vegas, it’s clear that the 24 year old is in the sport for the long haul. Both Gallagher and Mlambo will look to become amateur world champions in July to propel them into the professional landscape.

Breslin and Hammond will leave for Los Angeles in two days to compete in the world jiu jitsu championships. At just 24, Breslin has been one of the Ireland’s most consummate performers. The purple belt seems wise beyond his years and despite his current spectacular situation, he has no plans of joining his Las Vegas partners in the MMA ranks despite dabbling in the past. The Kildare man is laid back off the mat, and the opposite when he performs – the crew’s personification of the jiu jitsu lifestyle. Hammond, on the other hand, is thinking about making the transition. Having seen the life led by his ‘Notorious’ teammate, the charismatic Dubliner is leaning toward the MMA world. His fascination with movement is akin to that of McGregor’s, which is blatantly obvious when you see the teen in action.

Egan is like a mythological creature in Ireland. Having become the first man to carry the tricolor into the Octagon back in 2009, Egan later moved to Boston where he continued his MMA career. Not only did ‘The Tank’ bring McGregor to his first MMA session with John Kavanagh, but he also brought his fellow Newbridge native Breslin to the Dublin gym. Despite his 19 years, Hammond has been around the sport for a long time having began under the watchful eye of Roddy in the SBG children’s class. There are strong ties throughout the motley crew.

On our arrival in the gym we’re greeted by the lasting image of Forrest Griffin and Stephan Bonner after their clash in the original TUF Finale. Making their way through to the main gym area, it isn’t long before "A Milli" by Lil Wayne is blasting through the speakers. It seems like the perfect soundtrack for the moment as the team of eight launch into their warm-ups.

If you took the surrounding out of the equation, you might have had trouble distinguishing what sport they were about to engage in. Twisting and contorting like gymnasts with all the control of the most distinguished yogis, you can’t help but think your taking a look into the future of the sport. Peering over the landscape of the training center are two images of Aldo, a stark reminder of the task at hand.

After ten minutes the movements stop. As John Kavanagh had left for Cathal Pendred’s UFC 188 camp earlier in the day, McGregor takes the quarterback role for the session. "The Notorious" urges his teammates to put their MMA gloves on and with Devlin setting the clock, it’s a matter of seconds before the real fun starts.

McGregor’s diamond encrusted, gold Monster chain sits on the edge of the Octagon beside the matted area emblazed with the Reebok logo, where the team are training. Bronzed under the Vegas sun, the dark ink of his tattoos seems to jump off his skin as his blonde locks shimmer under the lights. It’s only been two short years since his UFC debut but he is undoubtedly a superstar. Had you never heard of MMA before and someone brought you into the gym pointing to the Irishman as the champion of the world, you wouldn’t doubt it for a second. Gavin FitzGerald, one of the filmmakers from "The Notorious" documentary, glides along the mats in search of footage and no one even takes a second look at him.

The self-proclaimed "Irish King" looks as regal as ever as he engages with his old school pal Egan. There is a visible familiarity in the process, forged in a shed in Egan’s backyard when the pair were just teenagers. Round by round the time disappears as the dance partners rotate. McGregor audibly exhales as his blows become stronger as he goes through the motions.

As the session ends a queue of bodies manifests beside Roddy requesting pad sessions with the SBG stalwart. “The guy is a genius”, Mlambo says of Roddy as Gallagher looks for assistance taking his gloves off having finished his session. As Breslin and Hammond engage in a controlled and thrilling exhibition of the gentle art, the tranquility of their engagement is broken by a sound as thunderous and precise as a Ginger Baker drum roll. It turns out to be McGregor hitting a speed bag.

The session winds down and the group goes for their showers. When everyone is clean and ready to leave they congregate beside the same door they had walked in hours before. The unscheduled rain showers have left McGregor’s convertible Mustang water logged, but a quick trip back into the gym to grab some towels fixes the problem.

It’s been a unique experience for an outsider, but it’s commonplace for the team. As if nothing had happened at all, the conversation turns back to Schwarzenegger movies. Roddy, Lobov and Egan effortlessly elicit laughter from the group, unconsciously keeping spirits high as they negotiate their way through the heavy Vegas night.

The daily grind will continue for the group. Among the athletes present there are five world titles up for grabs. Their journey culminates on July 11 as McGregor will look to justify all of their efforts by becoming Ireland’s first ever UFC champion.

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