John Kavanagh explains why Conor McGregor's fight against Michael Chandler might "resemble" the Chad Mendes fight
Conor McGregor's coach John Kavanagh appeared in an interview with Sherdog and spoke about the Irish superstar's comeback this year. 'The Notorious' will coach season 31 of The Ultimate Fighter against 'Iron' Michael Chandler, whom he will meet inside the octagon once the season concludes on air.
The fight between the former UFC lightweight champion and the former Bellator lightweight champion will be contested at 170 pounds. Coach Kavanagh thinks the fight against Chandler will resemble McGregor's fight against Chad Mendes at UFC 189.
Here's what John Kavanagh said about the McGregor-Chandler fight when asked about Chandler's possible approach:
"He [throws] big powerful punches, he [has] big powerful wrestling moves. You know, [he] wouldn't be the slickest striker, and the grappling is - kind of, big double leg [takedowns]. It's not like an Oliveira-style submission game or say, the likes of [an] Islam-style clinch game.
"He's very effective with it, but it's kind of, brute force [which requires] a lot of energy, a lot of power. And, actually, I think it could resemble - a little bit - the [Chad] Mendes fight. Mendes was that style - blocky guy, big punches, big double-legs."
Skip to 28:50 for John Kavanagh's thoughts of Michael Chandler's approach:
Coach Kavanagh said that Conor McGregor is 'really excited' about his upcoming bout with Chandler. Here's what he said:
"He's never stopped training, he's in phenomenal shape. And there's a real excitement in him, there's a real buzz around him. And, I'll be honest, that was part of the - I won't say worry, for me. You know? [Like], what would be the level of motivation when you've achieved the titles, you've achieved the money, etc. Man, I've never seen him as pumped as I've seen him recently."
When did Conor McGregor first coach on The Ultimate Fighter?
On January 31st, Conor McGregor's coach John Kavanagh - head coach of Straight Blast Gym (SBG), Ireland - shared a video of the best moments of TUF season 22. The aforementioned season had Conor McGregor and Urijah Faber coaching against each other in 2016. However, the coaches did not end up fighting at the end of the season.
youtube.com/watch?v=H921EA…
@UltimateFighter
Many fans reacted to the post by asking Kavanagh if the Irish fighter was going to be the coach for this year's TUF season. On February 4th, it was confirmed that 'The Notorious' was making his comeback in TUF season 31, against 'Iron' Chandler.
As with many TUF seasons prior, McGregor and Chandler will face each other at the end of the season being aired, sometime during the fall season.
It’s official everyone. Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler will coach The Ultimate Fighter!! https://t.co/RURTj4sqgy
Season 31 of The Ultimate Fighter has the potential to break many records in terms of viewership and numbers. Not just that, but the hype it will create for the fight between the former Irish and American MMA champions may make this one of the biggest bouts in the UFC's modern era.