UFC fans will be glad John Kavanagh made the trip over to Crumlin to convince his young pupil to fight on.
For many, Conor McGregor has been in their lives – and all over their social media – for three or fours years. For John Kavanagh, the Dubliner has been a part of his life for the best part of 11.
While McGregor is a UFC champion now, and earning millions, his journey to the top began when he entered Kavanagh’s gym and took a chance on himself.
Kavanagh was on the Late Late Show, to promote his recently released book ‘Win or Learn’, and recalled a conversation he had with a teenage McGregor that kept him from quitting what he had barely started.
While admitting McGregor was taken aback by his coach’s “school-teacher” appearance when they first met, Kavanagh knew pretty quickly that he had someone special on his hands. McGregor had a background in boxing but was a novice in mixed martial arts.
“I knew from the beginning he had something different,” he said.
However, after a positive start, McGregor became ‘a little hit and miss’ with his training. He went from missing the odd session to disappearing for a couple of months. The fighter’s mother visited Kavanagh and asked if he could come to his house for a chat with her son.
“It was a Friday night … We had a heart to heart. I told he could not only be a fighter but [that] I actually thought he would change the game.
“There should be no holding back any more; no holding off.”
McGregor showed up the next Monday morning and got to work.
He has not stopped since.
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