Conor McGregor Could be Looking For a New Coach After John Kavanagh Said That It Would Take Something Very Special For Him to Want to Train The Irishman Again…
Their bond is one of the most intense in MMA circles. John Kavanagh and Conor McGregor have risen together all the way from the bottom of the pile, to become one of the most high-profile coach and fighter duos in the UFC. Kavanagh is one of the most respected martial artists in Ireland, becoming the country’s first ever BJJ black belt. Now he’s the head coach of SBG Ireland and president of the Irish Mixed Martial Arts Federation.
Kavanagh can ever be cited as one of the main driving forces behind McGregor’s career. It’s well-documented how the Dubliner managed to persuade McGregor to stay on track and focus on his MMA career, back in 2009, just after beating Stephen Bailey in his third professional fight.
However, it looks like their MMA relationship could be nearing its end after Kavanagh said that it would take something very special to convince him to train ‘The Notorious’ again.
Damage
Kavanagh’s main concern is the amount of damage that McGregor took against Khabib Nurmagamedov. He was dropped by a massive right hand and took a severe amount of ground-and-pound in the second round. It was a brutally efficient performance by the Russian fighter. Kavanagh told the Sunday World in Ireland:
“Well, he would certainly have to convince me to go again. I love the whole journey we’ve had but I’d need a good ‘why’. It might be Diaz again because he promised that fight. It might be a rematch with Khabib. But if it was just: ‘Well, they want me to fight that guy’ I think I’d say, ‘I wish you the best.’”
So basically, if it’s Donald Cerrone or Dustin Poirier, you won’t see Kavanagh getting excited by it.
Conor McGregor. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara, USA TODAY Sports.
Family Values
The SBG head coach raised McGregor’s family as the primary reason why McGregor should be very careful about his next move. The longer he fights, the more damage he will take. With millions and millions in the bank, why should he continue to put his health at risk?
“He has a wife and two kids now and I don’t want him taking more hits than he needs to. Khabib hit him with a punch in that fight that he has never been hit with in his career. And even Superman slows down at some stage,” Kavanagh said.
Conor McGregor with John Kavanagh. Mandatory Credit: USA TODAY Sports.
Breakdown
Things haven’t been quite the same between McGregor and Kavanagh over the last year or so anyway. The influence of Owen Roddy in McGregor’s camp has been arguably more significant than Kavanagh’s because of his role as the Notorious’s striking coach. He also took the lead in the preparation for the boxing match against Floyd Mayweather.
Even after losing to Khabib Nurmagamedov, Kavanagh made it clear to various media outlets that McGregor hadn’t really spoken to him. When the True Geordie podcast asked him what was happening next, he responded:
“The honest answer is I don’t know. I haven’t actually spoken to him, I haven’t really seen him since the fight. I’ve hit the ground running, got so much on. He’s doing his whiskey tours of the world. It’s sold out, it’s crazy. I don’t know, you’re going to ask me to get into the mind of another human, and I just can’t do it. He said what he said and you’d have to get him as your next guest, fingers crossed, and ask him.”
