Conor McGregor: Coach Kavanagh clarifies Notorious' future ahead of Khabib brawl hearing
CONOR MCGREGOR won’t be hanging up his gloves anytime soon, his head coach John Kavanagh has insisted.
McGregor returned to the Octagon for the first time in nearly two years last month in the main event of UFC 229, where he challenged Khabib Nurmagomedov for the lightweight title.
‘The Notorious’’ long-awaited comeback fight didn’t go to plan as he suffered a fourth-round submission loss, which Nurmagomedov inflicted via a neck crank.
The manner of his fourth professional defeat led some MMA observers to believe we may have seen the last of the McGregor inside the cage.
Kavanagh disagrees with that notion and reckons the fire to compete at the pinnacle of mixed martial arts still burns deep inside his most famous student.
"A rematch? I guess it really depends on Conor,” Kavanagh told The Independent Ie.
“We've had a few text exchanges since the fight, but I haven't had a face-to-face with him and, when we do, that will be my conversation with him.
“I'll ask him what his motivation is. Let's hear how much he wants to do. Is it one more fight, is it five more?
"There's that old saying that it's hard to get up and go running when you're sleeping in silk pyjamas. MMA is a tough, tough sport.
Does he still have that (drive)? I think so.
“The training is gruelling and he has his second kid on the way, so does he still have that (drive)? I think so."
McGregor, 30, dismissed the notion of him hanging up his gloves in a lengthy Instagram post breaking down his loss to ‘The Eagle', in which he revealed he's eyeing a rematch with the Russian.
"If it is not the rematch right away, no problem," he said while reflecting on his latest setback. I will face the next in line.
"It’s all me always, anyway. See you soon my fighting fans I love you all."
The Dubliner reiterated his desire to for a second shot at Nurmagomedov in a recent phone call with UFC president Dana White.
"Conor and I talked for an hour last week," White told Express Sport during the UFC 230 post-fight press conference.
“And typical Conor. 'I would love an immediate rematch, I want to fight him again.
"'But I'll fight whoever I got to fight to get back to him if that's not the case.'"
Before McGregor can return to the cage, he must first learn his fate for his actions in the brawl which followed his defeat to Nurmagomedov.
Both men are currently serving temporary suspensions from the Nevada State Commission and are due to attend a disciplinary hearing on December 10.