Coach John Kavanagh heaps praise on Michael Chandler but admits he's got nothing Conor McGregor hasn't seen before

09/11/2024 01:37 PM

While John Kavanagh is extremely aware of what Michael Chandler is bringing to the table, he’s confident that Conor McGregor will be able to deal with it.

‘The Notorious’ was scheduled to go head-to-head with ‘Iron’ at UFC 303, until an injury to his little toe forced the Irishman to pull out of the contest.

John Kavanagh is preparing Conor McGregor to deal with Michael Chandler’s ‘wild strikes’

Throughout his esteemed UFC career, Conor McGregor has had John Kavanagh by his side. The knowledgeable MMA coach has been of paramount importance in the Dubliner’s biggest moments, crafting the game plans that made the fighter a superstar.

During this time, McGregor has gone toe-to-toe with some of the fiercest competitors in the sport, but rather than focusing on what the opposition is doing, Kavanagh likes to enhance what the two-division King is already good at.

During his time in mixed martial arts, Michael Chandler has displayed incredible wrestling, as well as a wild striking style that he loves to unleash whenever he feels like playing to the crowd.

However, Kavanagh is confident that the American isn’t going to present anything that his protégé hasn’t seen before.

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In an exclusive interview with Bloody Elbow via LuckyBlock, the MMA aficionado explained: “We’ve sort of had the same approach since the beginning that we focus on Conor's skill set and getting that as sharp as possible.

“We have some famous stories of last-minute change of opponents, [Jose] Aldo is one that comes to mind, where we went from a very dangerous kickboxer, Muay Thai fighter to a small, strong wrestler.

“You couldn’t really go any other end of the scale than that change of opponent, and thankfully, the training was such that he was able to step in, regardless of style of opponent.

“We don’t get too obsessed with what the other guy is doing. We try to focus more on what we’re going to do. You look at [Michael] Chandler, he has some incredible wins in the UFC.”

Kavanagh continued: “He stopped Dan Hooker, who was one of the toughest guys in that division, and Chandler made pretty short work of him and then his knockout against [Tony] Ferguson, so he’s dangerous everywhere. He’s solid everywhere.

“We’re ready for his wild strikes and we’re ready for his wild grappling. At the end of the day, the fight starts with the two of them standing at opposite ends of the cage, so whatever Chandler’s goal is – whether it’s to land a strike or a takedown – he’s got to walk through that danger zone and that’s where Conor has proven time and again to be an absolute sharpshooter. When he lands, it tends to be all she wrote.”

Conor McGregor hints he's going to run in the Irish Presidential election

While Kavanagh is excited to go back into camp to get his athlete prepared for a monumental showdown, McGregor isn’t solely focused on life inside the cage.

With a passion for politics, the 36-year-old has seemingly confirmed that he’d love to become the Irish President.

Possessing incredible powers of charisma, the sportsman undeniably has the ability to make people listen to him.

He recently revealed what his policies would be if he were to get elected.

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