In a resurfaced video that has sparked heated debate among combat sports enthusiasts, Hafthor Bjornsson, famously known as “The Mountain” from Game of Thrones, opened up about his sparring session with UFC superstar Conor McGregor.
“I had to hold myself back because I had too much power for a man his size,” Bjornsson admitted. “If I would push all my power into him, I would crush him, crush him.”
The 6-foot-9 Icelandic strongman, who once tipped the scales at over 400 pounds during his strongman career, recalled their lighthearted training session that took place before one of McGregor’s major bouts against José Aldo.
“I had a sparring session with him, just a joke one, a little while ago before his big fight,” Bjornsson explained.
The size difference between the two is indeed staggering. McGregor, who stands at 5-foot-7 and has competed at as low as 145 pounds, gives up nearly 200 pounds to the former World’s Strongest Man champion.
Interestingly, Bjornsson’s grappling exploits have made headlines before. UFC welterweight Gunnar Nelson, a fellow Icelander and McGregor’s teammate, recently revealed a serious injury he sustained while grappling with Bjornsson in May.
“I heard a nasty pop,” Nelson recounted of their session. “Seconds after, I could just feel it swelling up, but something in me was like, I’m not going to say anything now.”
The injury was severe enough that Nelson, who competes at 170 pounds, took nearly three years to fully recover. He had previously suffered a rib injury in his 2019 bout against Gilbert Burns, which was exacerbated during his rolls with Bjornsson.
“He’s 160 kilos (approximately 352 pounds) of pure muscle,” Nelson said. “He knows how to use his weight a bit.”
Nelson’s candor about the experience highlights the physical disparities that come into play when athletes of drastically different sizes engage in combat sports.
In contrast to Nelson’s experience, Brazilian jiu-jitsu legend Gordon Ryan, who weighs over 220 pounds, also tested his skills against Bjornsson more recently, seemingly better equipped to handle the physical challenges posed by the giant.
While social media reactions to Bjornsson’s comments about McGregor have been polarized, with many fans quick to defend their favorite fighter’s abilities, the Mountain’s statement underscores the reality of weight classes in combat sports, where size advantages can sometimes overcome technical proficiency.
