Conor McGregor was just a schoolboy when he first went to Phil Sutcliffe’s Crumlin amateur boxing club.
Two decades later, Sutcliffe is still in the UFC legend’s corner as one of his coaches.
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The Irish coach is a double Olympian who has worked with a host of amateur champions.
But his Dublin gym is synonymous with Welcoming McGregor to the world of fighting.
At the time, the future MMA icon was playing for a local soccer team when he stumbled upon the Crumlin Club in British Columbia.
After being asked to take off his muddy boots and having his parents fill out the membership, McGregor’s fighting journey began.
In his last years, Macgregor He trained away from the boxing gym where he became entrenched in learning mixed martial arts.
But Sutcliffe says the star was as talented as any of his other boxing champions, which was evident even from the age of 12.
He said: “In his boxing ability, he was equal to them, but he did not provide enough for one talent.
“It’s like you want to play rugby but you’re on the soccer field. It’s hard to control both.
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“If you want to play rugby you want to be strong, you want to be fast, but in football you want to be skillful and you want to avoid it.
“It’s the same thing in boxing. If you want to box, keep boxing. But Conor has mastered the ability to read. Read the shot that’s coming at you.
“He’s always mastered it since he was 12 and he’s been able to avoid it, he’s been able to move around comfortably.”
McGregor left Crumlin and Sutcliffe to pursue mixed martial arts with his sights set on the UFC.
In the following years, he became the champion of this sport The biggest and most paid star.
His fame and fortune skyrocketed in 2017 when he returned to his boxing roots to have a crossover match with Floyd Mayweather Jr.
He lost in ten rounds but the defeat brought about a reunion with Sutcliffe – Who became part of McGregor’s MMA camp.
It also changed the veteran trainer’s mind about the often brutal sport of mixed martial arts.
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“I was never fond of mixed martial arts, I thought it was barbaric until I got into it and saw the amount of work these boys had to do,” Sutcliffe said.
“I saw that and thought that was interesting.”
Sutcliffe’s influence has rubbed off on McGregor He has already taught his techniques to his six-year-old.
Sutcliffe admits that he can only see himself when McGregor gives Conor Jr. a masterclass in boxing.
He said: Whenever he was on the pads with his son, he showed me.
“Every time Arani teaches him, every word that comes out of his mouth — except for the word and all that kind of stuff — is Arani.
“He has learned a lot and I am very happy that he has learned so much from the person who taught him so much.”
Connor Jr. shows a remarkable resemblance to his famous fighter father, and Sutcliffe is already impressed by the young man’s skills.
He revealed: “He is an athlete. I saw him when he was wrestling with Cian Cowley’s son. They are all friends.
“Conor Junior is an athlete and his little girl isn’t bad either! Connor Junior is a natural, as you can see on the sticks and on the pads but there’s more to it than that, he’s making life difficult for his son.
“He’s an athlete, no matter what he does. He’s flexible, strong and fearless.”
McGregor, 35, is currently working on his return after being sidelined since July 2021 when he broke his leg.
He is expected to face American Michael Chandler (37 years old) in his return, which UFC President Dana White hinted would take place in the summer.
McGregor is back training again Sutcliffe insisted he was still as hungry and motivated as ever.
He said: If I see him dueling or seeing him fighting, I see Satan in him, and this is what I like. He still wants it.
“He hates losing and I love that, he wants to win because he is a winner no matter what he does.
“He’s got a few years left, get more fights to get Chandler out of the way. He’s more talented than Chandler.
“Chandler is going to be a tough guy, but he’s very talented, the skill base and everything, the wrestling, his bags, the jiu-jitsu, the kickboxing, he’s special.”
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