Coach John Kavanagh has revealed the first thing he looks for in a potential fighter, and his answer may surprise you.
The Irish mixed martial arts coach rose to fame following the success of his student, Conor McGregor. Kavanagh was instrumental in McGregor’s wins and eventual championship reigns. He is also the coach for other MMA stars like James Gallagher, Gunnar Nelson and Makwan Amirkhani.
The 43-year old is now one of the most celebrated coaches in the sport, so any advice he gives is treated like gold dust. However, his recent advice certainly came out of left field.
First thing I check on a fighter is their ass. Then their arms. The bigger the ass and the smaller the guns the more confident I’ll be in their ability to generate power. Big guns and pecs tells me they’re preparing for the beach. All show, no go!
— Coach Kavanagh (@John_Kavanagh) June 15, 2020
“First thing I check on a fighter is their ass,” said Kavanagh on Twitter. “Then their arms. The bigger the ass and the smaller the guns the more confident I’ll be in their ability to generate power. Big guns and pecs tell me they’re preparing for the beach. All show, no go!”
Other MMA talents reacted to this Twitter post from Kavanagh.
Women’s bantamweight veteran Sarah Kaufman responded, “So you’re saying I should be beheading people with my power based on my large ass- smaller arms ratio.”
So you’re saying I should be beheading people with my power based on my large ass- smaller arms ratio. 😀
— Sarah Kaufman (@mmasarah) June 15, 2020
Kavanagh responded with a gif to show his agreement.
He also revealed which of his fighters have the biggest junk in the trunk. Kavanagh stated that Dillon Danis, Gunnar Nelson and Brian Moore take the prize out of his SBG team.
Kavanagh even praised Francis Ngannou for his physique but questioned if his arms would hold him back in a wrestling match against someone like Daniel Cormier.
“Pretty big ass too haha!” Kavanagh said about Ngannou. “But I wonder could he hold them arms up if DC made him wrestle hard for 2 rounds….”
The post could be deemed ironic given the success of his star pupil McGregor, who is known for his long arms and reach which allows him to deliver devastating knockouts.
What do you think of these comments from coach John Kavanagh?