"A gem" - Fans join in as Conor McGregor leads birthday wishes for coach John Kavanagh

Conor McGregor has celebrated the day of birth for long-time head coach John Kavanagh, with many joining online thereafter.

Taking to his personal X page @TheNotoriousMMA, McGregor stated:

"Happy birthday @John_Kavanagh ! Some lovely wins we have had on your birthday, coach! A gorgeous day in the parish ❤️🇮🇪"

One of the wins on this date that McGregor referenced was his 42-second KO of Donald Cerrone. That prizefight transpired on Jan. 18, 2020, at UFC 246. Also, the Irishman's 2015 finish of Denis Siver transpired on Kavanagh's birthday.

Several users on the social media platform responded and joined the former dual division UFC champion in showing love to the prolific SBG Ireland figure.

@Sunnysbunnys said:

"Coach Kavanagh is a gem. I’ve followed all of his interviews & he always comes off as humble & honest. No matter if Conor wins or loses he always has an honest assessment afterwards."

@ChampEirik stated:

"Looks like two gents having quite the chat. Wonder what they're talking about 😏"

NotoriousJesse quipped:

"Iconic Coach/fighter duo! From nothing…to something… to EVERYTHING… and still goin! Happy birthday Coach K!"

@WR_Samurai said:

"Happy Birthday1"

@NecroFitX stated:

"Happy birthday, coach!"

@Pound4PoundGOAT quipped:

"Ireland MMA Legends"

[Images Courtesy: @TheNotoriousMMA thread on X]

Check out Conor McGregor's happy birthday post to his coach below:

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Conor McGregor and the tight-knit bond with his coach

Both Conor McGregor and John Kavanagh go way back as one of the deeper-rooted fighter-coach relationships in the sport of MMA.

The 35-year-old trained for years under Kavanagh, but per the prolific coach, it was not until McGregor captured the Cage Warriors featherweight belt that he truly felt the confidence he could pursue fighting in mixed martial arts as a career.

Prior to that, the coach had marveled at McGregor's skills but felt he was inconsistent. This all changed after capturing 145-pound gold on the European circuit, which, of course, then led to Cage Warriors gold at 155 pounds before signing to the UFC.

The Ireland native then went on to have one of the most memorable careers in the history of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, with title accolades as both a featherweight and lightweight inside the octagon.

McGregor aims to return on June 29 to take on Michael Chandler during International Fight Week.