Training Partner of Conor McGregor, Kavanagh, Arrested for Fighting onboard a Flight
Training partner of Conor McGregor, the thirty-nine-year-old Irish MMA fighter Sinead Kavanagh found herself in serious hot water after an incident aboard a Ryanair flight from Gran Canaria to Dublin on Monday, November 24. What started as aggressive behavior during pre-takeoff turned into a full-blown confrontation when the pilot requested police assistance, leaving two Civil Guard officers injured enough to take medical leave.
Sinead Kavanagh Flight Altercation
The trouble began around 7:30 p.m. when flight crew reported that Kavanagh was displaying violent behavior on the aircraft, which was scheduled to depart Gran Canaria Airport. Unable to manage the situation themselves, the cabin crew signaled for help. Civil Guard officers boarded the plane to remove two disruptive passengers, but things escalated when Kavanagh allegedly refused to comply with their instructions.
Video footage captured by other passengers and obtained by Spanish media outlets shows the moment things went sideways. Kavanagh is seen grappling with two officers, one male, one female, in the aircraft aisle as she allegedly “repeatedly struck” them while resisting arrest. Bystanders can be heard pleading “Don’t do this! Please!” during the struggle. The scuffle became serious enough that the officers sustained injuries, forcing both to take sick leave.
After additional backup arrived, officers transported Kavanagh to an airport holding facility, with four Civil Guard personnel escorting her in a patrol vehicle. She spent the night in custody before appearing before a closed-court hearing in Telde on Tuesday, November 25, where she was released on bail. She now faces investigation for assault on a police officer and resisting arrest.
The incident gained wider attention largely because of who Kavanagh is in combat sports. The Dublin fighter is a ninth-ranked women’s featherweight competitor in Bellator MMA. She boasts five national boxing championship titles from her amateur days and competed alongside Katie Taylor at the 2012 World Amateur Boxing Championships. After boxing didn’t pan out financially as a single mother, she transitioned to MMA, making her professional debut in 2015.
Conor McGregor’s Training Partner
Kavanagh trains at Straight Blast Gym Ireland under MMA coach, John Kavanagh, who heads the facility and is best known for coaching UFC champion Conor McGregor. Though they share the same surname, they aren’t related, a fact Kavanagh herself has clarified. Still, she trains alongside McGregor as part of the SBG Ireland team, and McGregor has publicly supported her fights, even helping carry her backstage after a victory in February 2022 when she injured her knee during the bout.
As of now, Kavanagh’s investigation continues. Whether she’ll face travel restrictions or other conditions remains unclear. Her last professional fight was in June 2024 against Arlene Blencowe, which she lost via submission in the second round.
