Sutcliffe and team playing their part in McGregor comeback
CRUMLIN Boxing Club Coach Philip Sutcliffe and his team are relishing the opportunity to help former protégé Conor McGregor return to winning ways in the world of MMA.
Sutcliffe, along with fellow Crumlin coach Bra Brady and cut man Andy O’Neill, has been brought in to assist McGregor and his coach John Kavanagh as he gears up for his clash with Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone on UFC 246 in Las Vegas on January 18.
Aaron Dempsey, Phil Sutcliffe, Conor, Michael McGrane, Bra Brady and Andy O'Neill at the Crumlin BC Good Friday Show.
“To be asked to train Conor along with his coaching staff was an honour” Sutcliffe told The Echo.
“To get him back to some off his boxing moves and to help John Kavanagh and his coaching staff is great.
“To work with them with my coaches Bra Brady and Andy O’Neill cut man, we know it will have a great effect, with all that team around Conor.
“Working with him comes natural as he thrives on the knowledge of all his coaches” he said.
And Sutcliffe believes that honing McGregor’s boxing skills will go a long way to seeing the Crumlin man make a winning return to the UFC after he suffered defeat at the hands of Khabib Nurmagomedov in his last outing back in October of 2018.
“His boxing skills were always good as he wins most of his contests through boxing skill and footwork” Sutcliffe pointed out.
McGregor, a former UFC featherweight and lightweight champion, is confident he will notch up another win in what he sees will be a pathway back to a rematch against Nurmagomedov, who himself is fighting Tony Ferguson in April.
There is also talk that McGregor, should he despatch Cerrone, could also face off against Justin Gaethje, who is ranked just one place above the Dubliner on the UFC lightweight leaderboard.
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