Two of the most exciting up and coming stars in mixed martial arts today, Conor McGregor and Rory MacDonald, have struck up quite the mutual admiration. The Canadian welterweight number one contender is currently waiting in the wings for the title fight between Johny Hendricks and Robbie Lawler to produce his next opponent while McGregor will fight Dennis Siver in January with Jose Aldo a possible summer opponent.

“He’s on the cutting edge of some stuff I think.” MacDonald said about McGregor on today’s edition of The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani.

“His movement, his striking It’s got my attention for sure, I want to emulate some of it.”

“He’s doing the right thing to get noticed quick but I think he would have done it anyway with his skill-set. I’m more a fan of his skills. The way he talks is the way he talks but I’m more a fan of his work”

“There’s a lot of little technical things that he does with his striking that I think I could use, I like it – it’s new.”

MacDonald went on to tell Helwani before saying he would like to travel to Ireland to train with SBG sometime in the near future.

MacDonald and McGregor also had a conversation on twitter recently where both men showed their admiration of each other.

@rory_macdonald Thank you Rory!! Congrats on your last win brother. You were phenomenal!! #Honoured — Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) October 29, 2014

@TheNotoriousMMA thanks bro you to, lets get some training in soon — Rory MacDonald (@rory_macdonald) October 29, 2014

With both men on the cusp of world title bouts in the upcoming months this friendship of prospects could quickly become a friendship between champions.