"We told him to take them off" - Conor McGregor's first boxing coach recalls the Irishman's first day at the gym
UFC star Conor McGregor takes immense pride in his Irish roots and maintains an unwavering loyalty to the team that helped him achieve double-championship status, besides other achievements in the sport. To this day, he often trains at his childhood boxing club, the Crumlin Amateur Boxing Club in Dublin, Ireland.
According to Conor McGregor's first boxing trainer Philip Sutcliffe Sr., the Irishman was always sharp in reading punches. McGregor recently showcased his gratitude to Sutcliffe by gifting him a custom truck.
Sutcliffe, who coached McGregor at the renowned Crumlin gym, shared insights into their early training days during an interview with Daily Star at the Black Forge Inn. According to Sutcliffe, McGregor had already mastered the art of reading shots and deftly avoiding punches at the age of 12. He also showcased remarkable movement skills that would later define his style in the octagon.
Recalling McGregor's early days at the gym, Sutcliffe humorously reminisced about instructing him to take off his football boots on his first visit. Sutcliffe stated:
"When he walked in, I told him he had to take his boots off. He was playing football against Crumlin United. He was a little blonde kid, a good-looking kid, but he had his football boots on. You don't walk on the floor with your football boots full of mud, so we told him to take them off. He started punching the bags. I said if you want to join, get your ma and da down. You have to fill in a form and apply.”
Sutcliffe, a two-time Olympian, also admitted that he was skeptical about Conor McGregor switching to MMA initially, deeming it barbaric. However, witnessing McGregor's dedication and hard work in the sport changed his perspective.
Conor McGregor revisited childhood roots with Phil Sutcliffe ahead of UFC 246 showdown against Donald Cerrone
In preparation for his highly anticipated welterweight clash with UFC veteran Donald Cerrone at UFC 246, Conor McGregor returned to his roots and enlisted the expertise of his childhood boxing coach, Phil Sutcliffe.
Despite his longstanding training affiliation with the Straight Blast Gym in Ireland, led by coaches John Kavanagh, Owen Roddy and Sergey Pikulskiy, McGregor left no stone unturned in preparation for the bout.
Speaking about enlisting Sutcliffe's services for his UFC 246 bout in an interview with Irish Boxing, Conor McGregor stated:
“Phil Sutcliffe is a phenomenal boxing coach and my time under Phil in Crumlin Boxing Club, I learned so many fundamentals that I still carry with me today. I learned so many shots off Phil and the coaching staff down there and the sparring with Phil Sutcliffe Jnr in my early days was phenomenal, it got me to that next level I feel."
McGregor defeated Donald Cerrone in just 40 seconds at UFC 246. He secured the victory with a swift and precise knockout, marking a triumphant return to the octagon.