UFC Fight Night at 46 at Dublin's O2 was a great night for the home contenders as Conor McGregor and Cathal Pendred were among the winners.
But it was also an important night for their coach, John Kavanagh who was on hand to witness a special night on home soil.
Tonight Coach Kavanagh joined us on Off The Ball to talk about his own role in coaching and the rapid growth of Mixed-Martial Arts in Ireland, something he has played a key role in.
"I think it's his positivity that's infectious to be around. What you see is what you get," said Kavanagh, of McGregor's role in popularizing the sport in this country.
"He started off in the gym and he was always competitive and he always trained hard. He was always this loud, laughing character."
Kavanagh also discussed McGregor's in-depth analysis of fights, the different training methods for the fighters he is coaching and the importance of the exchange of information between team-mates.
But Coach Kavanagh's ability to teach his fighters is not anything isolated as he was meant to become a maths teacher at one point.
"I love teaching. I get a big rush from showing something new and seeing their eyes widen up. Certainly with martial arts you can be stuck in a bad position and not know what to do. And I say 'Go A, B, C and you're out' and it's like a magic trick.
"I studied engineering and when I graduated I was going to go on and do a H Dip to become a teacher. I loved Maths. I have a degree in Maths and I wanted to teach it. I always enjoyed it," he admitted, going on to explain how Maths and MMA can overlap in certain aspects.
He also spoke about his close relationship with Armagh selector and former Kildare manager Kieran McGeeney, who trains at his gym and also discussed how safe the sport is and the importance of positivity.
Off The Ball's Colm 'Wooly' Parkinson learning the ropes at at Straight Blast Gym
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