Published 02/25/2023, 10:32 AM PST
Bellator star Sinead Kavanagh targets a win as she makes her return at Bellator 291 in a rematch against Janay Harding on February 25. The Irish star also set her eyes on the next prize, Cris Cyborg, who prevailed in their previous encounter at Bellator 271. In that brief fight, the Brazilian put in a classical dominant display as she clung to her champion’s title with a flashy knockout win. However, the Dublin-born remains upbeat about a rematch soon. The surging title contender also keeps her feet grounded as she recalls how the generosity of her fellow compatriot, Conor McGregor, helped her realize her dream.
The Inchicore native lived a tough life, as she experienced a series of tragic early on. The chain of unfortunate events consumed the father of her son and later on, she lost her brother and sister in a car accident. Soon afterward, she found herself homeless for a span of 6 years in her early ’20s. However, she fought the adversities and also became a 5x national boxing champion and competed alongside Katie Taylor. Subsequently, the 37-year-old transitioned to MMA and joined the SBG Ireland gym where she encountered the man who saved her career.
The generous gesture of Conor McGregor saved Kavanagh’s career
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Finding it hard to survive in the MMA, the 8-5 record holder remembered she found a lifeboat in the ‘Notorious’ who sponsored her then and gave her €10,000.
LAS VEGAS, NV – SEPTEMBER 27: Conor McGregor celebrates his win over Dustin Poirier after their featherweight fight during the UFC 178 event inside the MGM Grand Garden Arena on September 27, 2014 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
Not only did she was looking after a young son, but she was also broke and homeless. Narrating her struggles to Irish Mirror, she said, “Like, I had the young fella and I was on the dole. I literally had no money, I was f***ing homeless. It was rough.”
“He gave me €10,000 to keep me going. At the time, I was just amazed at how generous he was,” the featherweight fighter added later on.
Following this, the SBG Ireland team product also shed light on the side of the ‘Mystic Mac’ that everyone ends up ignoring.
The unnoticed good side of McGregor
Hence, she expressed, “He does so much for charity and for people in need, or people that might need surgeries and stuff like that. You only ever see ‘the bad Conor,’ but there’s so much good that man does. People are just negative and just focus on the bad.”
Nevada , United States – 10 July 2021; Conor McGregor before his lightweigh fight with Dustin Poirier during the UFC 264 event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. (Photo By Thomas King/Sportsfile via Getty Images)
Kavanagh showed remarkable resilience in her last fight, as she fought through a horrific knee injury that she picked within the first minute of the fight. Markedly, she fought with a torn ACL, and given what she had gone through in life; it was not enough to break her spirit.
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She, therefore, picked a unanimous decision win against Leah McCourt.
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What do you think of this generous act by former UFC champion Conor McGregor who helped Sinead Kavanagh realize her dream? Do you believe she’ll face Cris Cyborg this year? Let us know in the comments below.
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