Lone’er Kavanagh was around the age of six when he got a phone call from his mother which would turn his life upside down.<\/p>\n
Kavanagh, who grew up in South West London, had to pause his gymnastics class to pick up the phone.<\/p>\n
She told him his father had suffered a heart attack that day, was seriously ill in hospital and that he had to go and see him urgently.<\/p>\n
By the time Kavanagh had got to the hospital, his father had died.<\/p>\n
“It was a hard one because I spoke to him on the phone before work the morning before,” Kavanagh tells BBC Sport.<\/p>\n
“Not having a father figure is hard growing up, that’s why I have so much respect for my mum because she has to do both roles.”<\/p>\n
Now aged 26, Britain’s Kavanagh credits his mum as being the pivotal figure in shaping the person – and fighter – he’s become today. <\/p>\n
Kavanagh’s last name is Irish, which comes from his dad’s side, but his first name Lone’er is Chinese, coming from his mum’s side, and translates to ‘Dragon Son’.<\/p>\n
While growing up, Kavanagh says he started hanging around with people “he shouldn’t have been surrounded by”, so his mum pushed him towards martial arts to help him “stay disciplined”.<\/p>\n