“It Would Be Insane”: Coach Kavanagh Gives an Update on Conor McGregor Fighting at UFC 249

The outbreak of Coronavirus has halted all activities on the sporting front. However, call it his ignorance or stubbornness, Dana White is not willing to let go of the situation so easily. His unwillingness to postpone or cancel UFC 249 has landed it in a strange situation. As a result, the name of former double champ Conor McGregor has come up for the main event spot.

However, his coach John Kavanagh has denied all possibilities of the Irishman stepping up to the occasion. Khabib Nurmagomedov is stranded in Russia. His statements led to a frantic search for an opponent for Tony Ferguson. Names such as Justin Gaethje and Dustin Poirier were the frontrunners for replacing the Dagestani.

The SBG supremo brought forth Conor’s name via his social media antics. In multiple tweets, he had hinted towards the fact that Conor will be a part of UFC 249. However, talking to Ariel Helwani on Instagram Live he brought forth the entire truth.

“I think it would be kind of insane at the moment. We don’t know everything about this disease, but we know a bit. I think right now there should be a really strong lockdown for at least the rest of April.”

He added that if fighters were to cut weight, then it would harm their immune system. This can make them more exposed to the pandemic.

“It is a changing situation, so maybe the government can look at that and the experts and decide May 1, maybe life starts again, but right now I don’t think it’s smart to be trying to put on fights right now, guys training and cutting weight, lowering your immune system.”

Kavanagh revealed that his tweets of Conor McGregor fighting were an April Fool’s joke

Two years back, it was on April Fool’s day that Dana White announced that Tony vs Khabib was cancelled for the fourth time. Two years later the pairing seemed to be going down the same path. But, Kavanagh’s comments gave people hope. However, unlike Dana two years back, Kavanagh was joking around.

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There are still a lot of unknown variables regarding UFC 249. The UFC has been playing it close to the chest until now. This is partly because Dana White is pissed off at the people covering the sport. He has openly said that the lesser the media knows the better.