Photographer Dave Fogarty envisioned a career as a professional mixed martial artist until Conor McGregor called him.
The Irishman was a champion amateur, winning medals at World and European Championships.
And while he was training to be a fighter, he picked up a camera as a hobby at the gym and took photos at local Irish shows.
That's how he was introduced to McGregor, and the UFC legend then offered him a job as his personal photographer, with McGregor becoming his boss.
Fogarty, 34, told SunSport: “I definitely could have gone professional.
“It's definitely something that could happen and something I've been thinking about, but my amateur career is over and I start working for Conor full time.
“The time commitment of working with Conor would be incompatible with a full-time commitment to professional mixed martial arts.
“So naturally I chose to continue working with Connor.”
Despite leaving his fighting career behind, Fogarty has never quit MMA.
That means he's on call with McGregor 24/7, always in the gym and on-site for the biggest fights in the world.
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Fogarty is one of McGregor's most trusted confidants.
The talented photographer is part of McGregor's core team, who travel with him all over the world.
Fogarty will be accompanied wherever McGregor goes by nutritionist Tristan Kennedy, strength coach Julian Dalby, as well as a padman and masseuse.
He said: “He doesn't have days off, he doesn't have holidays, he's always doing something. When he's not around, the team is always with him.”
“As he says, there's a gym on the yacht. He continues to train even when he's on the yacht. He trains all year round. It's great to be surrounded by that.”
Fogarty, who has been training since his last MMA fight in 2017, has been capturing McGregor's rapid growth through his own lens.
He revealed: “It's insanity. If you take a step back and see what it's like for him.”
“Because while that stuff is going on, I just go into work mode and make sure I'm taking photos and covering it.
“So when you take a step back and look at it, that's what he does every single day. That's his life. It's incredible.”
Connor wears many different hats: when you're with him, he's Connor, he's your friend and you're having fun, and then when it's time to get to work, he's the boss.
Conor McGregor Photographer Dave Fogarty
“It becomes normal until you take a step back and realize it's not normal.”
Fogerty hinted that the next project he's working on with McGregor will be released soon.
And he confided that his close friend could turn into an equally demanding boss at any time.
He said: “Connor wears many different hats. When you're around him, he's Connor and he's your friend and you're excited.”
“Then when it’s time to get to work and he’s the boss, I’ll take a photo and it’ll be different to his vision.
“And then he told me the story, he let me know, Conor is the boss then.
“But sometimes he likes a photo and we get excited.
“Sometimes he is Conor McGregor, president of McGregor Sports & Entertainment and Claymore Productions.
“I absorbed everything.”
“I don’t want people to say my photos are always great, because they’re not always great and not everyone’s photos are great.
“I think it's important to have those kinds of relationships.”
Fogarty will now be relying on McGregor's expertise as he prepares for a return to competition, this time in the boxing ring.
He has signed with Misfits Boxing, the home of celebrity-style crossover bouts, and will face the organisation's lightweight champion, Dean the Great, in Dublin on August 31.
Fogarty will be trained by Irish boxing giant Phil Sutcliffe, McGregor's first trainer.
While traveling with McGregor, he will be training under the same coaches and recovery team employed by the UFC legend.
He will then fly back and spar under the close watch of two-time Olympian Sutcliffe.
Fogarty hasn't ruled out the possibility of McGregor being there to support him on the night and will be using everything he's learned watching his boss over the years.
He said: “I soaked it all up. I structured my training camp exactly the same way Conor structured his training camp. That's my blueprint.”
“This is a very precise, careful and calculated approach and it's the optimal approach.
“Obviously, it's my way of being around Conor and seeing how he's done. He's one of the greatest minds in the history of martial arts.”
“He’s a phenomenal coach, if you watch The Ultimate Fighter you can see how dedicated he is to coaching, how committed and passionate he is.
“I was with him and saw how he puts together his training camp and I picked up a lot from him.
“That was a huge inspiration for how I'm going to do this going forward.”
Fogarty is preparing to challenge Dean for his lightweight belt and take on the loudmouth unbeaten American.
“I've said it from the beginning, he's a good man, I have no intention of taking anything away from him or discrediting him,” he said.
“He's a good fighter. A bit of a talker, a bit arrogant and cocky, but look, he's a good boxer. He's got power in both hands, good head movement, good foot movement.”
“So it's a big challenge to become champion and I think it's the hardest fight in the division, but I'm here for big fights and big opportunities.”
