"I deserved that" - When Conor McGregor got beat up by coach John Kavanagh as reality check after bringing female teammate to tears on day one at SBG

Before becoming a UFC superstar, Conor McGregor learned a tough lesson at Straight Blast Gym under coach John Kavanagh. Known for his powerful left hand, McGregor was already making a name for himself in sparring sessions, but one particular incident led to a reality check from his coach.

During an early training session, McGregor dropped Owen Roddy before hurting Irish strawweight Aisling Daly with a body shot, leaving her in tears. Kavanagh, witnessing the moment, decided to step in and teach the young fighter a lesson.

Recalling the moment in his book Win or Learn, Kavanagh wrote:

"I came out of the office and saw Ais keeled over in the ring. She was in tears. Conor had hurt her with a body-shot. Okay, I thought, I let you away with that once, but you’ve got another thing coming if you think you can come in here and bully people. ‘Right, Conor, I’m next,’ I said."

Kavanagh then challenged McGregor to a sparring session, took him down, and gave him a beating to reinforce the importance of respect for teammates.

The coach added:

"These people are your teammates, not your opponents. When we finished, Conor looked at me and said: 'Yeah, I deserved that.'”

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Conor McGregor clashes with Paul Hughes over PFL Dubai comments

Conor McGregor has sparked another feud, this time with fellow Irish fighter Paul Hughes, following Hughes’ post-fight comments at PFL Dubai.

Hughes faced lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov last Saturday, narrowly losing a majority decision. Many fighters, including McGregor, believed Hughes deserved the win. However, tensions escalated after Hughes was seen speaking to Khabib Nurmagomedov, McGregor’s longtime rival, saying:

“I’m not like this other guy. I’m my own man.”

McGregor took offense to what appeared to be a reference to him and responded with a series of social media insults. He criticized Hughes and made controversial remarks about his Northern Irish identity, writing:

“Get that flag off you, you little know-what-you-are c*nt from up there.”

Hughes responded by addressing McGregor directly:

"[McGregor] always said you were the GOAT, paid homage at every opportunity. But coming at my Irish identity just shows where your head is at.”

Check out the back-and-forth between the two below: