A new UFC featherweight world champion was crowned in Las Vegas on July 11 at the highest selling UFC event of all-time. Raising the championship belt at the end of the night was "Notorious" Conor McGregor and his coach John Kavanagh of Straight Blast Gym in Ireland.

Alongside Kavanagh was his longtime friend, peer, and training partner Stephen Whittier, the owner of Straight Blast Gym East Coast at 14 Kendrick Road in Wareham.

Whittier, one of the Straight Blast Gym International’s top coaches as well as a trainer of numerous UFC level professional athletes over the years, described the experience as “unreal… one of those rare times when reality is just as incredible as how you dreamed it could be. I was so fortunate to be there with John and the other main coaches from our team for this unbelievable and historic weekend, and watch one of our organization’s home grown athletes become a world champion.”

Straight Blast Gym is an international organization of gyms, coaches and athletes with about 20 gyms worldwide, one of which is in Wareham.

For more information about Straight Blast Gym’s martial arts and fitness programs for youth and adults, visit SBGeastcoast.com or call 508-295-5427.