Trouble In Paradise: Is Conor McGregor At Odds With Coach Kavanagh?
Could there be trouble in paradise? That’s how it seems as speculation of Conor McGregor and John Kavanagh‘s strained relationship continues to pop up.
It all started after McGregor’s UFC 229 loss to Khabib Nurmagomedov. That’s when coach Kavanagh claimed he had not been in contact with his most famous student in the days after the record-breaking fight.
Speculation of their strained relationship picked up more steam earlier this month when the SBG head coach revealed Conor would have to convince him to corner him ever again.
“He would certainly have to convince me to go again,” Kavanagh told the Irish Independent.
“I love him, I love the whole journey we’ve had but I’d need a good ‘why’. It might be [Nate] 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.’
“He has a wife and two kids now and I don’t want him taking more hits than he needs to.”
Based on Kavanagh’s comments, it sure looks as though he and McGregor have grown distant. However, you can’t always read too much into words.
Out Of Context?
According to Bellator featherweight and SBG fighter James Gallagher, the coach’s words were taken completely out of context., and that there is indeed no trouble in paradise.
“I feel like it was more he’d rather not see Conor fight in a fight that’s not meaningful. I think that was taken wrong,” Gallagher told The Metro. “I feel like it was more he’d rather not see Conor fight in a fight that’s not meaningful.
“Because Conor’s 30, he’s got a family. He doesn’t need to fight in a non-meaningful fight. I think that’s what he meant to say. He wants Conor in a meaningful fight like the Nate Diaz fight.
“He won’t be going in there fighting someone like Cowboy (Donald Cerrone). It doesn’t make sense. I think that was what he was trying to say. I could be wrong, but I do believe it was taken out of context.”
Before McGregor can fight again, he must first learn what his punishment will be for his role in the infamous UFC 229 post-fight brawl. The Irishman was supposed to appear before the Nevada State Athletic Commission last Monday but was granted a continuance.
