Conor McGregor's coach John Kavanagh has forgiven the UFC for throwing them out last night - after his fighter Johnny Walker earned a $50,000 bonus.
Walker brought an impressive halt to a two-fight losing streak when he submitted Ion Cutelaba in the first fight on the UFC 279 main card. But he soon found himself out in the street while still wearing his fight gear, with Kavanagh claiming: "UFC just came and kicked us out. No tickets for us and not allowed stay back stage to watch. Pulled out back door, kicked out, no even [got] shoes on>"
The Irishman later posted a video of Walker arriving back at his hotel having been unable to get changed. Kavanagh added: "So here we are back at the hotel, Johnny still has his gloves on, he didn’t get a chance to get changed." But after learning Walker was to receive one of the night's bonuses, Kavanagh tweeted: "Well Johnny Walker won the 50Gs baby bonus. All is forgiven UFC, you can boot us out anytime."
UFC president Dana White addressed the situation at the post-fight press conference when he said: "I guess ever since COVID, they started this thing where they get the fighters right out of here. I don’t know why that happened or what happened. I mean, we are not throwing Johnny Walker out of the arena shoeless, I’m sure."
After being informed that is exactly what appeared to have happened, White joked: "We f***ing threw him right on the streets? It’s rough around here." Walker has been using Kavanagh's Dublin training base since the Covid pandemic prevented him accessing is gym in Canada.
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The Brazilian had lost four of his last five fights going into last night's bout having initially enjoyed success in the UFC. His win over Cutelaba is likely to have earned him a stay of execution in the promotion and he said after his win: "Dana, I need a bonus my friend, I finished him! I'm getting better, I don't want to just knock people out, I want to finish them on the ground as well; I'm working my a** off."
"There's no secret, you know, just commitment, because without commitment you never start, and consistency, because without consistency you never finish. Commitment and consistecy and training hard every day, this is my life."
