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Conor McGregor's Coach Reveals Irish Star Knocking on the Door to the UFC

Exclusive: Conor McGregor's coach, John Kavanagh, has high hopes for Danni McCormack.

Mathew Riddle

McGregor (Étienne Laurent/EPA) / McCormack (Paradigm Sports)

Conor McGregor's coach John Kavanagh gives his statement on a top rising Irish MMA prospect on the cusp of joining the UFC.

McGregor is a tough act to follow for any MMA fighter. Many have tried and failed, and the truth is, we may never witness another UFC star reach the heights that 'The Notorious' has achieved

Still, few fighters enjoy the support of both McGregor and coach Kavanagh, like SBG's Danni McCormack, who recently competed in season three of Road to UFC.

"We’ve been knocking on the UFC door quite loudly for a while now and this unusual offer came through, that Danni was going to be on this all-Asian card [Road to UFC] and she was going to be fighting a very tough Chinese girl who was up a weight class and [more experienced]," Kavanagh told Lucky Block on behalf of MMA Knockout.

McCormack (9-2-0 MMA) came up against Qihui Yan (25-4-0) on August 23's Road to UFC. She won by bloody unanimous decision.

Conor McGregor's Coach Reveals Irish Star Knocking on the Door to the UFC
McCormack on Road to UFC / Getty

"Danni had gone up a weight class and completely dominated her, couldn't have been prouder of that performance," Kavanagh continued. " ... I don't think there's many more deserving over here than Danni, with what she's been through. She's had a tough 10 years getting to this spot and then like I said, she went in and she performed."

Kavanagh on McCormack: UFC Pick up the Phone, We're Waiting

McCormack could very well be signed to the UFC soon in case of a short-notice cancellation. Otherwise, she'll likely head back to Invicta FC. McGregor would prefer the former, taking to X with an electric post of support after her August victory:

Kavanagh shares McGregor's sentiment and insists they’re simply waiting for the call from the UFC.

" If the UFC is watching this, please pick up the phone, we're waiting," Kavanagh said. "Danni’s bugging me every other day when she spots a fight coming up and says ‘if one of them pulls out with injury, you put me in there’ and I'm like, ‘Danni, I'm doing my best. I'm on it every day,’ so we’re ready for any notice fight. ... Danni’s always ready, she's always in fight shape, she's mentally ready. Give her half a chance and she'll prove her worth."

With the waning state of the UFC's women's divisions, McCormack would be a welcome addition to the roster.

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Mathew Riddle
MATHEW RIDDLE

Mathew is a UK-based combat sports journalist, graphic designer, and SEO expert with over five years of experience in digital marketing and a dedicated four-year track record in MMA journalism. He joined MMAKO in 2023. Mathew's insights have been featured on The Fight Fanatic, Heavy on UFC, Fansided, and Sportskeeda. Reach him at mr@thefightfanatic.com.

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