'Failure is not fatal' - John Kavanagh shares Conor McGregor's next post-defeat move
Conor McGregor's coach John Kavanagh appeared on an edition of the Helwani Show to speak to Ariel Helwani about UFC 257 and the consequences of the loss against Dustin Poirier.
John Kavanagh said that the preferable next step is a trilogy fight with Dustin Poirier. This is something that Conor McGregor had himself mentioned in the post-fight press conference as well. John Kavanagh said that both the fighters now stand with a 1-1 scorecard amid themselves. Therefore, a deciding trilogy fight will be the way to go for Conor McGregor. Kavanagh said,
"He (Conor McGregor) is already harassing everybody to get the rematch. So, we would love the rematch. I don’t think Dustin is against that. Yeah, if we can get the rematch before the summer, that would be amazing."
Dustin Poirier, too, mentioned that a trilogy fight is definitely on the agenda for him. An interesting scenario narrated by Ariel Helwani is that now that Khabib Nurmagomedov is sure not to show up inside the Octagon again, a trilogy fight between Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier sounds possible and doable. This is because both the fighters are now equal in terms of score inside the Octagon, and a trilogy fight for the vacant title will not be a logically flawed way to go.
Will Conor McGregor heal in time to be able to perform in the summer?
Conor McGregor has not been walking without aid since his fight with Dustin Poirier.
The kicks that Dustin Poirier landed on Conor McGregor's leg as a tactical play caused much more damage than John Kavanagh claims their camp expected.
It was the kicks that helped Dustin Poirier gain momentum in the fight. He was able to put Conor McGregor against the fence and unleash a flurry of devastating boxing combinations. It was against the fence that 'El Diamante' landed the fatal blow that sent Conor to the canvas.
Yet, John Kavanagh stated that the damage is nothing serious. Even though the damage is pretty evident in the swelling, pain, and inability to operate, no major bone or ligament has been damaged. In fact, John Kavanagh said that he found Conor McGregor hit the gym for an hour-long weight training session the morning following UFC 257.
He stated that he expects Conor McGregor's leg to heal within 9-10 days and stated that 'The Notorious One' will be fighting fit by May, ready to go again.