Win or Learn: MMA, Conor McGregor and Me: A Trainer's Journey - Softcover

Kavanagh, John

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0241977681 ISBN 13: 9780241977682

Publisher: Penguin, 2017

Synopsis

Conor McGregor's trainer tells the amazing story of his long road to success in the world's fastest-growing sport

Growing up in Dublin, John Kavanagh was a skinny lad who was frequently bullied. As a young man, after suffering a bad beating when he intervened to help a man who was being attacked, he decided he had to learn to defend himself. Before long, he was training fighters in a tiny shed, and promoting the earliest mixed-martial arts events in Ireland. And then, a cocky kid called Conor McGregor walked into his gym ...

In Win or Learn, John Kavanagh tells his own remarkable life story - which is at the heart of the story of the extraordinary explosion of MMA in Ireland and globally. Employing the motto 'win or learn', Kavanagh has become a guru to young men and women seeking to master the arts of combat. And as the trainer of the world's most charismatic champion, his gym has become a magnet for talented fighters from all over the globe. Kavanagh's portrait of Conor McGregor - who he has seen in his lowest moments, as well as in his greatest triumphs - is a revelation.

What emerges from Win or Learn is a remarkable portrait of ambition, discipline, and persistence in the face of years and years of disappointment. It is a must read for every MMA fan - but also for anyone who wants to understand how to follow a dream and realize a vision.

'For anyone interested in following their dream to the end of the line' Tony Parsons

'It kept me up well past my bedtime' Sean O'Rourke, RTE Radio One

'Remarkable' Irish Times

'Kavanagh is open and honest about his upbringing ... The journey hasn't been easy, but Kavanagh's inbuilt determination has carried him all the way' Irish Examiner

About this title

Review:

For anyone interested in following their dream to the end of the line (Tony Parsons)

Remarkable (Irish Times)

Kavanagh is open and honest about his upbringing ... The journey hasn't been easy, but Kavanagh's inbuilt determination has carried him all the way (Irish Examiner)

From the Back Cover:

Growing up in Dublin, John Kavanagh was a skinny kid who was frequently bullied. After suffering a bad beating when he intervened to help a woman who was being attacked, he decided he had to learn to defend himself. Before long, he was training fighters in a tiny shed, and promoting the earliest mixed-martial arts events in Ireland. And then, a cocky young lad called Conor McGregor walked into his gym ...

In Win or Learn, John Kavanagh tells his own remarkable life story - which is at the heart of the rise of MMA in Ireland and globally. Kavanagh has become a guru to young men and women seeking to master the arts of combat and earned a reputation as one of the best MMA coaches in the world. All of it is built on a work ethic and a team ethos that has remained intact from the earliest days in the shed. Kavanagh's portrait of his most gifted and successful fighter, Conor McGregor - who he has seen in his lowest moments, as well as in his greatest triumphs - is a revelation.

What emerges from Win or Learn is a remarkable portrait of ambition, discipline, and persistence in the face of years and years of disappointment. It is a must read for every MMA fan - but also for anyone who wants to understand how to follow a dream and realize a vision.

About this edition

• Publisher: Penguin
• Publication date: 2017
• ISBN 10: 0241977681
• ISBN 13: 9780241977682
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 240