Boxing coach Mark Henry made his feelings known regarding a potential match-up with his UFC lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez and featherweight kingpin Conor McGregor yesterday, taking a swipe at SBG Ireland coach John Kavanagh in the process.
Both McGregor, who has spoken of his desire to become the first ever current two-weight world champion in the UFC, and Alvarez have talked up a potential matchup between the two being their preferred next fight. But that has met some resistance from UFC president Dana White and interim 145lb champ José Aldo who would prefer the Irishman to meet his obligations.
And just when things were starting to quieten down, New Jersey coach Henry fired up the trash talk again when he took to Instagram yesterday to take a pot shot at Kavanagh after he said in an interview that Conor would knock the lightweight champion out.
In reply to a screenshot of an article where Kavanagh said he’d personally prefer for McGregor to go to 155lb and fight Alvarez for the lightweight championship and in addition predicted a second round knockout, Henry had the following to say.
“John Kavanagh, for a jiu-jitsu coach who can’t event teach his student Conor McGregor how to tie his belt and just got subbed quick you have a lot to say,” offered Henry. “PS give the proceeds of your book to the striking coach, he deserves it.”
This social media post went viral and started to do the rounds amongst the MMA community online and eventually popped up in John Kavanagh’s notifications. His reply was most certainly respectful and put the ice on any potential trash talk engagement with Henry.
“I’ll focus on my fighter,” said Kavanagh. “I’m not a fighter and I’m not interested in headlines, I’m just a coach doing my best.”
It remains to be seen what McGregor does next; both he and his head coach Kavanagh want a crack at Alvarez for the lightweight belt, but UFC president Dana White has made his feelings on the matter clear, he wants McGregor to drop back down to featherweight and defend the belt or relinquish it if he’d prefer to fight at lightweight.
With just three pay-per-view numbered events left without an official headliner in the final quarter of 2016, most notably UFC 205 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, the clock is ticking on where both Alvarez and McGregor will turn next.
