Knockout artist’s sparring offer to Floyd Mayweather wasn’t well received

No denying his power

Ben Kiely

If Floyd Mayweather is looking for some UFC sparring partners ahead of his bout with Conor McGregor, he has a few options.

It may sound ridiculous for Floyd Mayweather to call upon MMA fighters to help him prepare for a boxing bout. The man is 49-0 in the game and has eased past the cream of the pugilism crop. On paper, he should make light work of Conor McGregor.

The X-factor McGregor brings is that he’s highly skilled in MMA. The dangers of facing an opponent coming over from the zenith of another combat sports discipline are the unknowns. The best way not to get caught out by something unusual is to familiarise yourself with that style.

There is a valid argument to be made that Mayweather and McGregor are so unique that it would be impossible to find anyone to replicate their styles. However, there’s probably no harm in at least getting a feel for what it’s like to fight someone from the other sport.

McGregor enlists the help of former two-weight world champion https://t.co/WfpAbsx5VB

— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) June 29, 2017

Streaking UFC lightweight contender Kevin Lee already offered to help Mayweather get ready for August 26, if the price is right. Now we can add fan-favourite Mike ‘Platinum’ Perry to the least.

The 25-year-old is 10-1 in MMA, 3-1 in the UFC and every single one of his victories have come by way of knockout. Although his style is very different to that of McGregor, they both share an incredible ability to render seemingly anyone unconscious with a single punch.

@FloydMayweather I think some sparring with me would be good for your fight against Connor. HIt me up

— Platinum Mike Perry (@PlatinumPerry) July 6, 2017

Perry’s offer to Mayweather didn’t go down well at all among fans on Twitter.

The general tone of the responses seemed to suggest most people felt Mayweather wouldn’t benefit too much from working with the Flint, Michigan native.