This week, Richard Graves is joined by performance coach Colin Byrne, who spent seven years working with Conor McGregor as part of his training and corner team.

Colin believes many athletes, particularly in combat sports, still confuse doing more work with preparing effectively. He explains why conditioning should reflect the actual structure of competition, how fatigue affects technical execution and why the ability to recover between intense efforts can decide contests.

The conversation explores Colin’s work with McGregor following his first defeat to Nate Diaz. He describes how introducing greater structure, separating skill development from conditioning and helping McGregor understand his own intensity transformed the preparation for their rematch just 14 weeks later.

Colin also introduces his “one-round principle”, challenges the value of routinely exceeding competition distances in training and explains what combat sports can learn from cycling’s measurement-led approach to performance.

In this episode you will learn

• Why many combat athletes train too much without training specifically enough
• How fatigue affects decision-making and technical execution
• What Colin changed after Conor McGregor’s first fight with Nate Diaz
• Why skill training and conditioning may need to be separated
• How heart rate and power data can help athletes understand pacing
• Why recovery between high-intensity efforts matters so much
• How the “one-round principle” changes the structure of fight preparation
• Why training beyond the demands of competition is not always productive
• What coaches can learn from cycling’s approach to measurement
• How amateur athletes can make better use of limited training time

About Colin Byrne

Colin Byrne is a performance coach, martial artist and founder of the Shinobi Academy in Portugal. A former professional cyclist and European silver medallist in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, he holds black belts in both Brazilian jiu-jitsu and ninjutsu.

Colin spent seven years travelling and working with Conor McGregor, helping to structure his conditioning following the first Nate Diaz fight and supporting him as a trainer and cornerman. His approach combines practical coaching experience, measurable performance data and a detailed understanding of the demands placed on combat athletes.

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John describes himself as a “gypsy of sport” driven by curiosity, problem-solving, and a deep interest in what actually moves the needle in elite performance. From his early days in football and rugby to supporting drivers in the most intense performance environment in global sport, John shares how his thinking has evolved beyond programmes and protocols, towards relationships, skill execution, and consistency under pressure.

The conversation explores how elite performers prepare for the biggest moments, why world-class athletes are “uncommonly consistent,” and how performance staff can better integrate physical, technical, and psychological elements to support athletes when it matters most. John also lifts the lid on working in motorsport, a sport decided by millimetres, milliseconds, and mental control, and reflects on burnout, travel fatigue, and managing performance across relentless global calendars.

This is a thoughtful, experience-led discussion for practitioners working at the top end of elite sport, as well as anyone fascinated by what separates the very best from the rest.

In this episode you will learn

• Why elite performance is ultimately a people business, not a programming problem
• How working across multiple sports shapes better decision-making as a performance coach
• What “uncommon consistency” really looks like in world-class athletes
• Why skill execution, not physical capacity, often determines success at the highest level
• How performance staff can influence athletes who don’t need to listen to them
• Lessons from Formula One on pressure, precision, and decision-making under fatigue
• How interdisciplinary teams can improve performance communication in real time
• Practical insights into managing burnout, travel, jet lag, and long competitive calendars

About John Noonan
John Noonan is a performance coach and sports scientist with over two decades of experience working across elite sport. His background includes roles in professional football, rugby league and union, Winter Olympic sports, and long-term work within Formula One.

Now the founder of Noonan Performance, John works with elite athletes and teams to improve performance through smarter physical preparation, better communication, and a strong emphasis on skill execution and decision-making under pressure. He is known for his relationship-led approach, his ability to work across disciplines, and his focus on solving the right performance problems.

FREE 7d SCIENCE FOR SPORT ACADEMY TRIAL

SIGN UP NOW: https://bit.ly/SFSepisode241

​ Learn Quicker & More Effectively
​ Optimise Your Athletes' Recovery
​ Position Yourself As An Expert To Your Athletes And Naturally Improve Buy-In
​ Reduce Your Athletes' Injury Ratese
​ Save 100's Of Dollars A Year That Would Otherwise Be Spent On Books, Courses And More
​ Improve Your Athletes' Performance
​ Advance Forward In Your Career, Allowing You To Earn More Money And Work With Elite-Level Athletes
​ Save Yourself The Stress & Worry Of Constantly Trying To Stay Up-To-Date With Sports Science Research