Johnny Walker has credited John Kavanagh for fixing his life after going through hell ahead of his UFC bout with Thiago Santos.
Brazilian Walker clashes with his fellow countryman in the main event at Saturday's UFC Fight Night in Las Vegas, with Kavanagh cornering the 29-year-old once again.
Conor McGregor's coach has been credited with connecting the light heavyweight fighter with the people he needs and Walker is confident that the hard work will pay off against Santos.
He told Combate: “I’ve brought in some guys from Bellator, like Fabian Edwards. We had some other heavier guys at the gym, too. It was a tough camp, I’ve lived through hell. Every week I’d go through the gates of hell two, three times. I would open them, walk in, stay there and come out. It was crazy.
"I hope Thiago takes me to hell, so I can feel at home. John Kavanagh helped me so much. He connects me with the people I need. Nutritinionists, personal trainers, boxing coach. The guy fixed my life and you’ll see the result on Saturday."
Walker is aiming to add to his victory over Ryan Spann from last September, but knows he will have to be more cautious than he was in that bout.
He added: “I wasn’t so cautious in my last fight. I ate a punch and got dropped on my butt. I wasn’t cautious, I was desperate to win because I was coming off two losses.
"I had to find a way to knock him out. I’ll be moving more now, I’ll be feeling more comfortable, it’s five rounds, so let’s go.
"If he comes at me fast, I’ll be ready. But if he takes it slow, we’ll feel out the pace of the fight, see how it goes.
“Marreta is very aggressive. He knocks guys out. I think he’s going to be really aggressive. But he has to be cautious, too, because I’m also aggressive.
"Whoever lands first will drop the other guy. Let’s see who’s better prepared, smater and more agile."
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