Con the money
CONOR McGREGOR’S laser-like focus is his secret weapon says his trainer John Kavanagh.
The Irishman, 32, is preparing for a rematch with Dustin Poirier in Abu Dhabi on Saturday.
It will be only McGregor’s third UFC bout since his high-profile boxing showdown with Floyd Mayweather in 2017.
The Dubliner lost to Khabib Nurmagomedov in 2018 and followed up with a first-round win over Donald Cerrone 12 months ago.
But despite lengthy periods without fighting and an array of commercial interests, Kavanagh insists McGregor is more determined than ever.
“He’s very good at compartmentalising,” said the trainer (above). “When Conor is in the gym, he’s really there. He won’t be checking his phone or chatting about business. “But if he’s got meetings he’ll be in the moment for that, too. “When you have his aspirations to be top in sport and business that’s a skill you really need to have. “Financial freedom is a nice benefit of what Conor is doing but it was never his ultimate goal.” A return to the boxing ring later this year looks on the cards. McGregor is keen to lock horns with Filipino superstar Manny Pacquiao. Kavanagh would prefer him to commit to life in the octagon though. He added: “It’s no distraction but as a fan I’ll be very disappointed if he slips off into the boxing world again.
“I’ll be twisting his arm to stay in MMA.
“He’s got fantastic opportunities lined up after this fight but we don’t want to lose ourselves with that.”
Kavanagh believes there’s no reason why McGregor can’t remain on the scene for years.
He said: “He walks out of most fights without being touched. That goes a long way towards longevity.”
BT Sport Box Office will show UFC 257: Poirier v McGregor 2 exclusively live
on Saturday, January 23.