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

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Penguin Books, Limited, Jul 27, 2017 - Biography & Autobiography - 240 pages

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.

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About the author (2017)

John Kavanagh, who runs Straight Blast Gym Ireland, is one of the world's leading mixed martial arts coaches. His stable of fighters includes the UFC featherweight champion, Conor McGregor.

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