John Kavanagh letting Conor McGregor lead UFC 246 fight camp: he knows more about fighting than the rest of us put together
John Kavanagh has said Conor McGregor is in charge of his UFC 246 fight camp against Donald Cerrone.
In his return to the Octagon, many believe this is a must-win for the Irishman after he lost to Khabib Nurmagomedov last time out. There, McGregor said the camp was bad so he has put himself in charge given what he knows about fighting.
“With Conor’s fighting IQ, with Conor’s understanding of the game, really, this training camp is about all of us getting out of his way,” Kavanagh told The Mac Life (via MMA Fighting). “Provide him an environment where he gets different looks, different feels, and support him. Where he wants the training camp to go, with intensities, and listening to him – where he has days where he wants to push hard. And days where he wants to slow down.
“It’s not so much about us coaches sitting down to game plan and then filling Conor in. Conor knows more about fighting than the rest of us put together.”
McGregor did not fight in 2019. But he has said 2020 is a season to him and he wants to fight three times including getting his rematch against Nurmagomedov.
Yet, in order for that to happen, he will need to beat Donald Cerrone. And something going his way is the fact he says he is motivated again and wants to be a champion once more.
So, for Kavanagh, he believes Conor McGregor gets his hand raised on Jan. 18 but will not be a first-round knockout like many expect. Instead, it will be in the championship rounds.
“I could see it being in the championship rounds,” he said. “That’s the mindset I personally have – and be ready for that. Now, he could spark him in seconds. But there’s a bit of extra weight involved, so I think in the later rounds.”
