DUBLIN — Conor McGregor recently surprised a beginner's boxing lesson by taking over the class to shout at everybody and show them how to punch.
Straight Blast Gym owner John Kavanagh told Business Insider that before his days in the UFC, McGregor used to supplement his fighting income by teaching martial arts, boxing, and fitness lessons in his gym.
Though he does not officially instruct lessons anymore, he still comes into the SBG fight club in the Inchicore suburb of Dublin and helps people with their fitness goals.
Kavanagh told Business Insider of a story "on a recent Saturday … a random Saturday" where McGregor took over a class of 10 people who were about to have their very first boxing lesson.
"He showed up, there was about 10 people getting ready for their first boxing lesson, and he goes, 'Aaah, I'll take the class.' And so he jumps in. He's one of the top 10 most famous people on the planet. Just imagine that was you, you start your very first ever boxing lesson, and you had Conor McGregor shouting at you!"
Kavanagh said it is unlikely McGregor will coach full-time in his post-fighting career but told us he remains a "fantastic coach."
Kavanagh said: "He actually used to coach before his UFC days. He used to do boxing lessons here and fitness lessons there, and any time he did them they were the busiest classes because he has that energy about him.
"He'll still come down here and if he sees … it could be anybody … but somebody from the fight team, he'll jump in and be like, 'No, no … you got to do it this way,' and he'll be half an hour explaining with them how to do something."
Kavanagh also recently told Business Insider that he thinks McGregor is still the best fighter in the world of mixed martial arts.
Though he is loathe to speculate on who his client's comeback opponent could be in the UFC, when pressed over the four athletes McGregor has been linked to, he said: "Bring them all on."
Last week, McGregor said he is planning to return to the UFC in January in Las Vegas, and wants to fight three times in 2020.
McGregor made his comeback comments at a press conference in Moscow following a New York Times report that said the MMA star is facing a second sexual assault investigation in Ireland.
McGregor's publicist said the fighter denies any report accusing him of sexual assault.
The story in the Times follows reporting earlier in the month by the Independent in Ireland which said "a well-known Irish sportsman" had been accused of sexually assaulting a woman in Crumlin, Dublin.
Irish police, called the Gardai, confirmed to Business Insider that it was investigating a sexual assault that took place in that area on October 11.
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