Conor McGregor coach unsure why fighter remains un-booked, calls situation ‘weird’
Conor McGregor’s longtime coach John Kavanagh is as in the dark as the rest of the MMA world when it comes to the fighter’s next move.
Kavanagh appeared on The MMA Hour on Monday along with Alta business partner Rich Chou to discuss the future of their company, and the discussion inevitably turned to Kavanagh’s close friend and star student McGregor. The former two-division UFC champion remains in limbo without a booking on the horizon as he targets his first fight since suffering a leg injury at UFC 264 in July 2021, but fans hoping for any insight from Kavanagh will be disappointed to know that he’s waiting for an update just like everybody else.
“I won’t pretend to know the politics and what’s going on with legal stuff in the background,” Kavanath said. “All I know is it seems odd that we’re not getting [any news]. Like I said, I really am speaking from a position of ignorance because I actually try to purposefully avoid all of that. [McGregor’s manager] Audie [Attar] and the team, they do all that, they go back and forth with Hunter [Campbell] and the UFC team. But yeah, it’s weird to me for someone to be the star he is and not get more opportunities.”
McGregor has been the UFC’s biggest box office draw for the past decade, bringing in millions of pay-per-view buys and playing a key role in elevating the promotion to a higher level of mainstream recognition. However, he has fought in MMA just four times since 2016, with inactivity related to injury, legal issues, a one-off boxing match with Floyd Mayweather Jr., and his pursuit of film roles.
The remake of Road House premieres this week on Amazon Prime and Kavanagh expects to see McGregor at an advance screening, where he hopes to get a hint of what’s next for the SBG Ireland standout.
“Look, I’m going to meet him either this evening or certainly tomorrow for the movie and trust me, that’s why I half-jokingly say to journalists, ‘You know as much as me,’” Kavanagh said. “They all think, ‘Go on, give me the inside scoop.’ I’m seeing the same clips pop up that you guys do.
“Conor’s traveling so much and my head’s down so much with what’s happening day to day, I’m not really every day on to Conor, ‘Hey, what? I’ve seen an interview.’ He’ll come to me when the fight’s announced, but I will be asking him.”
In a recent interview, UFC CEO Dana White suggested that McGregor’s wealth is one reason why he might be taking his time to return to action. However, McGregor himself said that the booking being “pushed back” is causing him to “lose interest.”
According to Kavanagh, McGregor is just waiting for a call.
“Yes,” Kavanagh said when asked if McGregor is ready to fight.