John Kavanagh: 'No chance' Conor McGregor serves as UFC 249 replacement vs. Tony Ferguson

Conor McGregor’s head coach, John Kavanagh, has ended all speculation before it could really get started: The former UFC lightweight and featherweight champion won’t fight at UFC 249.

After Khabib Nurmagomedov announced he was not going to compete in the April 18 lightweight title headliner with Tony Ferguson due to a lack of location stemming from the coronavirus pandemic, the scramble to save the event has proceeded.

McGregor (22-4 MMA, 10-2 UFC), who was one of the earliest predictors Nurmagomedov (28-0 MMA, 12-0 UFC) vs. Ferguson (25-3 MMA, 15-1 UFC) would fall apart for a fifth time (albeit not under these circumstances), teased on social media that he was in “fight shape,” which naturally generated some excitement.

If the UFC had a venue secured, or the coronavirus outbreak hadn’t thrown the entire sports world into disarray, then perhaps “The Notorious” would be slotted in. But under these circumstances? Kavanagh said it’s just not realistic.

“No chance of that,” Kavanagh told ESPN on Friday on Instagram Live. “Ireland is on a pretty strict lockdown (due to coronavirus). Me and Conor have no physical interactions. There’s no physical interaction at the gym. Gyms are shut down.”

Although McGregor has been hailed by UFC president Dana White in the past for fighting anyone at any time, the current scenario is unprecedented. McGregor’s previous short-notice fights have featured switches from his original opponent – not him stepping in for someone else.

With just 15 days until UFC 249 is supposed to take place, the idea of fighting someone of Ferguson’s caliber under such conditions is not a risk McGregor needs to take at this time.

“To try and rush that together, I just don’t think it would be smart,” Kavanagh said. “He certainly isn’t fighting so that he has food for the next six months. That’s not where he is in his life.”

Before the coronavirus outbreak caused the UFC to postpone three events (with more potentially on the way), the promotion was trying to figure out when it would get McGregor back in the octagon. Rumors have suggested that all parties were angling for a showdown with Justin Gaethje in July, who has been pushing hard for the fight.

Kavanagh confirmed Gaethje’s name was in the conversation. However, with the pandemic continuing to be a global issue – and McGregor being among the world’s most outspoken athletes during the crisis – Kavanagh isn’t sure how the future will unfold.

“(Gaethje) was certainly one of the ones that was being talked about,” Kavanagh said. “That was right up there.”