The lighter the glove, the better for Conor McGregor.
Not only are Floyd Mayweather’s hands more brittle and therefore more likely to break with less padding, but McGregor is accustomed to wearing 4oz. gloves in the Octagon and his superior power is at its most devastating when less cushion exists between knuckle and jaw.
Add to that the fact that a smaller glove translates to more difficulty for Mayweather when it comes to implementing his infamously defensive style and you understand just how beneficial the recent update is to McGregor.
Everything came up ‘Notorious’ at Wednesday’s Nevada State Athletic Commission hearing, where several aspects of the McGregor vs. Mayweather fight were finalised.
The commission gave the green light to a one-time waiver for fighters at 154lbs to wear 8oz. gloves, rather than the 10oz. gloves that were originally agreed upon and are typically worn by super welterweights.
Good news for Conor https://t.co/CxDhmWtJgF
— JOE (@JOE_co_uk) August 16, 2017
The NSAC also assigned judges and the referee for the contest and it could be argued that McGregor got his way once more as Kenny Bayless, the official who has been accused of a Mayweather bias in the past, was taken out of the running.
Robert Byrd was ultimately selected to be the man in the middle on August 26 while McGregor’s request for an international judge was also granted as Italy’s Guido Cavalerri was appointed alongside US scorers Burt Clements and Dave Morreti.
All in all, Wednesday couldn’t have gone better for McGregor and his statement in the wake of the hearing tells you all you need to know about his take on the rulings.
“I am very pleased with the Nevada State Athletic Commission’s handling of my next bout today,” McGregor wrote on Instagram. “Fair play was kept all the way through. Referee – Hall of famer Robert Byrd.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BX3ZXKmByV7/?hl=en&taken-by=thenotoriousmma
“Judges – Burt Clements. Dave Morreti and Guido Cavalerri. 8oz gloves approved. With pre and post fight analysis of the gloves on the night.
“This was handled very well and very fairly by the NSAC. I am very pleased and respect the commission’s ruling on this. 10 days until fight time.”
