Win or Learn

Growing up in Dublin, John Kavanagh was a skinny kid who was frequently bullied. After suffering a bad beating when he intervened to help a woman who was being attacked, he decided he had to learn to defend himself. Before long, he was training fighters in a tiny shed, and promoting the earliest mixed-martial arts events in Ireland. And then, a cocky young lad called Conor McGregor walked into his gym ... In Win or Learn, John Kavanagh tells his own remarkable life story - which is at the heart of the rise of MMA in Ireland and globally. Kavanagh has become a guru to young men and women seeking to master the arts of combat and earned a reputation as one of the best MMA coaches in the world. All of it is built on a work ethic and a team ethos that has remained intact from the earliest days in the shed. Kavanagh's portrait of his most gifted and successful fighter, Conor McGregor - who he has seen in his lowest moments, as well as in his greatest triumphs - is a revelation. What emerges from Win or Learn is a remarkable portrait of ambition, discipline, and persistence in the face of years and years of disappointment. It is a must read for every MMA fan - but also for anyone who wants to understand how to follow a dream and realize a vision.