John Kavanagh To Write Autobiography

SBG Ireland Head Coach Secures Book Deal

SBG Ireland’s Head Coach, John Kavanagh, announced this month that he had signed a deal with publishers Penguin Random House to release his autobiography. The book is scheduled to be released in the summer (by which time he may be responsible for training the first athlete to hold two UFC titles at once!). On signing the deal, John Kavanagh said:

‘It’s surreal to me that they would approach me to do this and that there’s enough interest in the idea to warrant doing it but let’s go! I’m committed to writing the best book I can and want to answer any questions people might happen… ‘It will cover my life, upbringing, how and /why I got into martial arts, discovering MMA, SBG, starting a small team in a shed and ending up winning titles in the [MGM].”

“’By the end I want people to know my story, the philosophy behind our approach that led to an unfunded, unsupported small club in Dublin making an impact on a truly global sport.”

John Kavanagh had his own professional MMA career as an athlete while connecting with Straight Blast Gym founder Matt Thornton and founding the SBG Dublin gym in 2001. From there he has spent 15 years coaching some of the biggest names in the sport. While many may view the story of Kavanagh, and his work with Conor McGregor, as one of overnight success, it has been, in fact, one of more than a decade spent refining and eventually redefining what it means to be an elite MMA coach. Kavanagh has gone from coaching in cramped, unheated spaces with a small team of dedicated individuals to changing MMA and bringing Ireland and SBG to the forefront of the sport, with 14 facilities now under the SBG Ireland banner. Along with Conor McGregor, John Kavanagh’s coaching is responsible for the success of athletes such as Gunnar Nelson, Paddy Holohan, Aisling Daly, Cathal Pendred, and most recently Artem Lobov.

Alongside his success in MMA, John Kavanagh is also an SBG BJJ black belt and a European Champion, winning gold at the 2005 IBJJF European Championships. His BJJ and MMA career has led to success across Ireland, Europe and the whole world. SBG tribe members, and indeed fight fans everywhere, will be sure to learn an enormous amount from the story of one of MMA’s modern pioneers! All the best with the writing process, Coach!