Michael Conlan Picks New Trainer, Plans To Return To Featherweight
Michael Conlan has selected his new trainer while also announcing he will return to featherweight.
Conlan had been working with new trainers as he looked to select his new full-time trainer. After some time, the Irishman decided to pick Grant Smith.
“I appreciate the time I’ve had with all the guys I’ve worked with. It’s been great, but I believe Grant’s the next step for me. He’s the right one to help my career, and the right coach for me at the right time,” Conlan said to Boxing Social. “I just like how he operates. It was a very, very hard decision.”
Other trainers that were in the running were Stephen Smith and Buddy McGirt, but Conlan says who Smith has trained in the past made him the right choice.
“I actually chose Grant because of the quality fighters he had around. Stephen only has a few fighters, Charlie Edwards being the main one,” Conlan said. “Pedro’s probably one of the best coaches I’ve ever worked with. I’m very grateful to have been under him for a while. I was basically training by myself a lot of the time. It was alright when we were doing it, but in hindsight it probably wasn’t what I needed. I chose Grant because he has so many high quality fighters there [who] you can push yourself against in the gym and try to excel.”
Michael Conlan says he likely won’t fight again this year, but will fight in Q1 of 2025 as he looks to get accustomed to Grant Smith. He also says he will be going back down to featherweight but knows if he loses his next fight, he is done.
“If I was to lose next, that would be it. I’ll keep going now until it’s done, until the next loss and then I would be done. But I’m not putting loads of emphasis on it, I’m just enjoying it and trying to get back to the best me, which I believe will be world champion. My career’s a long story,” Conlan said. “It’s been a very great career, an up-and- down career. I’ve earned an awful lot of money. And me coming back now isn’t about money. It’s about trying to reach the goal.”
Conlan is 18-3 as a pro and coming off back-to-back TKO losses to Jordan Gil and Luis Alberto Lopez.
