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An Irish boxer says Kendrick Lamar is welcome to spar with him anytime at his home gym.
Aaron McKenna struck up an unlikely friendship with the famous US rapper in 2018 while the boxer was training in Los Angeles.
At the time, McKenna was a teenager with a few professional fights under his belt.
Now, he is back in his hometown of Smithsborough in County Monaghan, training in the family gym for his world title fight in Dublin in August.
McKenna revealed that partners from the UK and the US were flying in, adding that Lamar was always welcome “anytime with an open invitation”.
He and his brother Stephen, a boxer, met Lamar at a boxing gym where they trained.
The rap superstar ended his own training session as McKenna and his brother began eight rounds of technical sparring.
“Stephen and I saw each other directly,” McKenna said.
The pair are competitive, so the rap superstar says their watch is what drives them.
Lamar stayed for every round.
McKenna, who was living in California at the time, would continue to regularly cross paths with Lamar at the gym.
“After that we talked and got along really well,” he said.
“A real nice guy, down to earth, no arrogance or anything.”
