Mixed martial arts coach John Kavanagh revealed how he was conned by McGregor when he was younger. The UFC star didn’t have money at the time, but Kavanagh was always forgiving. However, after losing a bout, McGregor once strayed from his path.
It left McGregor feeling tremendously disappointed in himself, which led him to lose focus. The Irishman lost a match to Artemij Sitenkov in a Cage of Truth competition. Within the opening two minutes, McGregor’s opponent defeated him through submission.
Coach John Kavanagh used to offer his guys tickets so they could resell them to friends. The teammates kept some commission for themselves and gave the rest to the coach. However, following his crushing loss, McGregor admitted to Kavanagh that he had left the money at home and would bring it to the gym the following week. Kavanagh had no idea how far away that week was.
Kavanagh never lost his tolerance for McGregor’s financial situation. However, he said that his gym was struggling at the time. In addition, McGregor fled while owing him a large sum of money.
In his book ‘Win or Learn,’ Kavanagh stated:
“Conor had taken 25 tickets at €20 each, so we’re talking €500 worth of tickets.” The week gradually became almost a month. The coach ceased phoning him as a result.
Additionally, the Irish coach admitted that he was aware of McGregor’s dissatisfaction.
“Parents and other loved ones are often worried about fighters getting badly hurt, but that’s never the primary concern for the fighters themselves. Their main issue is that they don’t want to be embarrassed in front of people they know.”
McGregor lost motivation and enthusiasm for MMA after the loss. He might have defeated Sitenkov, but his arrogance caused him to lose. He was upset since he lost the game in front of his loved ones.
After more than a month, coach Kavanagh got a call. It was from McGregor’s mother. On the phone, she described how McGregor is lost and that only Kavanagh can get him back on track. The coach went to check on the young Irishman.
After going, Kavanagh discovered that McGregor was by no means in good health.
Kavanagh’s perseverance and McGregor’s commitment helped McGregor become a record-breaking MMA fighter. Conor McGregor would not be who he is today without his coach.