John Kavanagh thinks that Conor McGregor will stop Donald 'Cowboy' Cerrone when the pair finally trade blows, but it will be a more enduring win for the Notorious one.
Renowned for his explosive starts to fights, McGregor has finished plenty of opponents in the opening rounds - but Kavanagh reckons thathe will be in it for the long run this time around.
It comes as a surprise, given Cowboy's reputation for starting slowly in previously bouts, but the SBG coach hasn't ruled out an early knockout victory coming the Dubliner's way.
The added weight at 170 pounds, 15 pounds heavier than the lightweight category the 31-year-old last fought at, is Kavanagh's primary reason for making the prediction.
"I think it's going to be late. I can see it being in the championship rounds so that's the mindset that I personally have and be ready for that."
"Now, he could go in and spark him in seconds but I think there's a bit extra weight involved so I think in the later rounds," Kavanagh told The Mac Life.
It comes amid news that McGregor has drafted a two-time Olympian into his coaching setup for his fight with Cerrone, according to reports.
The Notorious has brought in Phil Sutcliffe who was his coach during his youth at the Crumlin Boxing Club, according to Irish-Boxing.com .
Sutcliffe boxed at the 1980 and 1984 Olympics and has previously been praised by McGregor.
McGregor said: “Phil Sutcliffe is a phenomenal boxing coach and my time under Phil in Crumlin Boxing Club, I learned so many fundamentals that I still carry with me today.
"I learned so many shots off Phil and the coaching staff down there and the sparring with Phil Sutcliffe Jnr in my early days was phenomenal, it got me to that next level I feel.”
McGregor often visits his old boxing gym to train where Sutcliffe trains as the pair are to link up in Las Vegas.
Sutcliffe will reportedly join up with McGregor's long-term John Kavanagh in the 31-year-old's corner as McGregor returns to the Octagon for the first time since losing to Khabib Nurmagomedov in October 2018.
It comes as McGregor's physique has been likened to a "blew-out balloon" by the manager of his rival Khabib Nurmagomedov .
Despite Kavanagh claiming he is in the shape of his life, Ali Abdelaziz strongly disagrees.
Abdelaziz said: "He looks like a blew-out balloon. He's a bodybuilder. That's what I think. He's getting no love from us."
There is no love lost between McGregor and Khabib's camp after UFC 229 that escalated in an ugly post-fight brawl.
And Abdelaziz believes that UFC chief Dana White is doing all he can to keep McGregor in the spotlight.
"Dana's the greatest promoter in history. I respect the man very, very much," Abdelaziz told TMZ.
"He has to make people care about Conor. And by mentioning Khabib's name, he is making Conor more relevant.
"And it's okay. He promote, he can do whatever. Khabib has a plan, Dana has a plan, sometimes we'll get upset, sometimes we'll agree.
"But business moves on. Conor's not on our radar. He might lose to 'Cowboy' as far as I understand. I think he might lose."
