John Kavanagh

John Kavanagh (born 18 January 1978) is an Irish martial arts coach, Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner and former professional mixed martial artist.

His students include fighters such as Conor McGregor, Makwan Amirkhani, and Gunnar Nelson.

He is the founder and head coach of Irish MMA gym Straight Blast Gym Ireland in Inchicore.

He is the current president of the Irish Mixed Martial Arts Association.

Kavanagh was inspired to take up mixed martial arts after watching footage of the UFC tournament in 1993.

A pioneer of MMA in Ireland, he competed in some of the earliest local circuit MMA events in Ireland and the UK and is the first Irish man to receive a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

Kavanagh was welcomed into the Straight Blast Gym International association of gyms in 2001 by SBGi founder Matt Thornton.

Today, Kavanagh is known as one of the best MMA coaches in the world, being nominated for the World MMA Awards "Coach of the Year" in 2016, and winning it in 2017.

Kavanagh is also the promoter of a mixed martial arts organization Euro Fight Night which held their inaugural event in October 2019.

John Kavanagh is the current president of the Irish Amateur MMA Organisation, IMMMA.

Kanō Jigorō → Tomita Tsunejirō → Mitsuyo "Count Koma" Maeda → Hélio Gracie → Rolls Gracie & Carlos "Carlinhos" Gracie Jr → Rigan Machado → Chris Haueter → Matt Thornton → John Kavanagh