Without the star power of former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) lightweight champion, Conor McGregor, most mixed martial arts (MMA) fans would have never heard of Straight Blast Gym in Ireland, or its head coach, John Kavanagh.
But alas, here we are, and Kavanagh was lucky enough to create life-changing memories, traveling around the world as McGregor fought in some of the biggest combat sports contests of all time, including his 2017 showdown against Floyd Mayweather.
“Not that long ago but feels like a different lifetime,” Kavanagh wrote on Instagram. “Two lads (one with a dodgy lip ring) traveling economy around the world trying to make a dream become reality. I dont know what the future holds but I do know because of ‘Notorious’ I’ve done more in the last five years than I would have ever imagined I’d do in a lifetime. Grateful.”
Kavanagh is likely paying tribute to his former pupil because McGregor hastily announced his retirement earlier this week. So either they’re both in on the joke, or their relationship continues to grow more distant in the months after this happened.
McGregor may have walked away from cage fighting, but the headlines continue to follow him. “Notorious” is already in hot water for smashing a fan’s cell phone in South Florida, and must now deal with allegations of sexual assault in Ireland.
For much more on McGregor’s retirement click here and here.