JOHN KAVANAGH WILL be a busy man at the TD Garden in Boston this Sunday evening, as three of his SBG athletes enter the octagon for crucial bouts at UFC Fight Night 59.
Paddy Holohan and Cathal Pendred will feature on the preliminary card, but the main event will see Conor McGregor look to secure his fifth UFC win and a shot at the featherweight title when he takes on Dennis Siver.
Before he jetted off to the US for this weekend’s action, we made our way over to the Straight Blast Gym on the Naas Road to put some important questions to John Kavanagh ahead of UFC Boston.
UFC Dublin last year was very special, but given what’s at stake, will it be eclipsed by Sunday in Boston?
“I don’t even know if getting the belt in Vegas would be quite as important for me personally as that show in Dublin. That’s something I’m going to remember forever…”
How much of a challenge is it for a coach having three fighters involved in such a big event?
“We’re a very tight team. All of these guys have been training together for seven or eight years. I guess I kind of oversee the whole thing and make sure that everything goes smooth on the night…”
With a strong Irish presence in Boston, what kind of atmosphere can we expect?
“I’ve kind of mentally prepared myself for when I make that first walk out, there’s going to be this cauldron of energy and noise. When it’s all over I’ll allow myself to take it in…”
Having been defeated in his last bout, will we see a return to winning ways for Paddy Holohan against Shane Howell?
“Because he was unbeaten, he was on a run at doing things a certain way and he hadn’t really changed. This made him have to re-evaluate and look at maybe doing things other ways…”
Cathal Pendred takes on Sean Spencer. What are your hopes for him this weekend, and beyond?
“Cathal knows that it’s really not good enough to just win nowadays. You’ve got to put a stamp on it. You’ve got to put the guy away if you want to win those awards and get those next big fights…”
Conor McGregor’s opponent is Dennis Siver. What are Siver’s strengths and weaknesses?
“I think very, very quickly in the fight — like in the Poirier fight — once that first one or two shots land, he’ll start walking backwards. And then it’s over…”
With a shot at the UFC featherweight title on the line for Conor, is the approach to this fight any different to others?
“The preparation hasn’t changed at all, whether it’s three rounds or five rounds. My fighter’s going to go in, one hundred percent fit, ready for all eventualities…”
“Even if it does happen to go a round or two, or even if it goes the distance, people are going to see him look sharper than he ever has. But I find it very hard to visualise it going past that two-minute mark…”
Featuring Cathal Pendred and Paddy Holohan, the UFC Boston prelims will be live on BT Sport 1 at midnight/12am this Sunday night/Monday morning. The main card, which will be headlined by Conor McGregor and also features Norman Parke, will follow at 3am.
'Conor looks better than I've ever seen him' - John Kavanagh
JOHN KAVANAGH WILL be a busy man at the TD Garden in Boston this Sunday evening, as three of his SBG athletes enter the octagon for crucial bouts at UFC Fight Night 59.
Paddy Holohan and Cathal Pendred will feature on the preliminary card, but the main event will see Conor McGregor look to secure his fifth UFC win and a shot at the featherweight title when he takes on Dennis Siver.
Before he jetted off to the US for this weekend’s action, we made our way over to the Straight Blast Gym on the Naas Road to put some important questions to John Kavanagh ahead of UFC Boston.
UFC Dublin last year was very special, but given what’s at stake, will it be eclipsed by Sunday in Boston?
“I don’t even know if getting the belt in Vegas would be quite as important for me personally as that show in Dublin. That’s something I’m going to remember forever…”
How much of a challenge is it for a coach having three fighters involved in such a big event?
“We’re a very tight team. All of these guys have been training together for seven or eight years. I guess I kind of oversee the whole thing and make sure that everything goes smooth on the night…”
With a strong Irish presence in Boston, what kind of atmosphere can we expect?
“I’ve kind of mentally prepared myself for when I make that first walk out, there’s going to be this cauldron of energy and noise. When it’s all over I’ll allow myself to take it in…”
Having been defeated in his last bout, will we see a return to winning ways for Paddy Holohan against Shane Howell?
“Because he was unbeaten, he was on a run at doing things a certain way and he hadn’t really changed. This made him have to re-evaluate and look at maybe doing things other ways…”
Cathal Pendred takes on Sean Spencer. What are your hopes for him this weekend, and beyond?
“Cathal knows that it’s really not good enough to just win nowadays. You’ve got to put a stamp on it. You’ve got to put the guy away if you want to win those awards and get those next big fights…”
Conor McGregor’s opponent is Dennis Siver. What are Siver’s strengths and weaknesses?
“I think very, very quickly in the fight — like in the Poirier fight — once that first one or two shots land, he’ll start walking backwards. And then it’s over…”
With a shot at the UFC featherweight title on the line for Conor, is the approach to this fight any different to others?
“The preparation hasn’t changed at all, whether it’s three rounds or five rounds. My fighter’s going to go in, one hundred percent fit, ready for all eventualities…”
How do you see Conor’s fight playing out?
“Even if it does happen to go a round or two, or even if it goes the distance, people are going to see him look sharper than he ever has. But I find it very hard to visualise it going past that two-minute mark…”
Featuring Cathal Pendred and Paddy Holohan, the UFC Boston prelims will be live on BT Sport 1 at midnight/12am this Sunday night/Monday morning. The main card, which will be headlined by Conor McGregor and also features Norman Parke, will follow at 3am.
This time in 2012, Conor McGregor had just picked up his first win for Cage Warriors
The Irish takeover begins in Boston ahead of Conor McGregor’s primetime showdown
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