Conor McGregor’s longtime mentor, John Kavanagh, remains as clueless as the broader MMA community regarding the fighter’s upcoming plans.
Kavanagh recently appeared on The MMA Hour alongside Alta business partner Rich Chou to delve into the future of their company. Naturally, the conversation veered toward Kavanagh’s close associate and star pupil, McGregor. The former two-division UFC champion finds himself in a state of uncertainty, lacking any scheduled bouts on the horizon since his leg injury at UFC 264 in July 2021. However, those anticipating insights from Kavanagh will be left disappointed, as he, like everyone else, awaits updates.
“I won’t pretend to know the politics and what’s going on with legal stuff in the background. 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 undeniably been the UFC‘s most significant draw for the past decade, generating millions in pay-per-view revenue and contributing significantly to the promotion’s mainstream visibility. Yet, his MMA activity has been sporadic, competing only four times since 2016. His hiatuses have been attributed to various factors, including injuries, legal entanglements, a high-profile boxing match with Floyd Mayweather Jr., and endeavors in the film industry.
As the premiere of the Road House remake approaches on Amazon Prime, Kavanagh anticipates encountering McGregor at an exclusive screening. He hopes this event might offer some indication of what lies ahead 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.”
