Lebosnoyani said he was only 17 when he had the opportunity to train together
Ultimate Fighting Championship star ahead of McGregor’s first fight Nate Diaz in 2016. Lebosnoyani had just finished a big Mongolian barbecue when his father called to say that McGregor needed a training partner at the gym. “American Bandit” trained with McGregor for about two weeks.
How Jean-Paul Lebosnoyani first met Conor McGregor
Lebosnoyani praised McGregor’s humility and said the former two-division champion has been messaging him throughout his career. Despite the controversy surrounding McGregor, Lebosnoyani said he will always respect the Irishman.
“I had just eaten the most I’ve ever eaten in my life. As soon as I finished eating, my father calls me,” Lebosnoyani told Ariel Helwani. “He says, ‘Conor is in the gym. He needs you to train now. I said, “Oh my God, I’m going to beat this guy.” We did a bunch of jiu-jitsu rounds and trained for about two weeks before he met Dillon in Dan. It was the highlight of my high school childhood. Shout out to Conor. He has been texting me throughout my career. When I signed with the UFC, he wrote me a nice congratulatory message. When I met Conor, he was the most laid back, down to earth guy. Obviously there are a lot of arguments with him, but I always respect him. He has a special place in my heart. He was at the peak of his career at that point and it was extremely inspiring how humble he was to someone like me. He drove to the gym in two Rolls-Royces, and the second he stepped on the mat, all that personality, all that ego, was just gone.
Lebosnoyani (12-2) earned his UFC contract
Dana White Candidate Series last year. He has won all three of his UFC fights, earning his first stoppage victory in the promotion Farman Hasanov at
UFC Vegas 123 Oct. 31
Jean-Paul Lebosnoyan resembles training together Conor McGregor At 17: “I had just eaten the most I’ve ever eaten in my life. As soon as I finished eating, my dad calls me. He says, ‘Conor is at the gym. He needs you to train now.” I said, “Oh my God, I’m going to beat this guy.” We did a bunch of jiu-jitsu rounds and trained for about two weeks before he met Dillon in Dan. It was the highlight of my high school childhood. Shout out to Conor. He has been texting me throughout my career. When I signed with the UFC, he wrote me a nice congratulatory message. When I met Conor, he was the most laid back, down to earth guy. Obviously there are a lot of arguments with him, but I always respect him. He has a special place in my heart. He was at the peak of his career at that point and it was extremely inspiring how humble he was to someone like me. He drove to the gym in two Rolls-Royces, and the second he stepped on the mat, all that personality, all that ego, was just gone.
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani)
November 3, 2026
