‘Floyd Mayweather would ruin Conor McGregor in the ring, but inside the cage, well that’s a different story.’
How many times have you heard something along the lines of that in relation to this crossover mega-fight that’s looking increasingly likely to happen?
Obviously, Mayweather would be a heavy favourite if it were to actually go ahead as planned. His pristine 49-0 professional record and his mastering of the defensive arts of pugilism means he’s more than deserving of this tag against a fighter who has never had a professional boxing bout in his career.
Inside the ring, a lot of McGregor’s greatest weapons will be rendered null and void. He’d be resigned to just striking with his hands which would be encased in much heavier gloves than he’s used to. However, who’s to say that he would abide by the rules? And even if he were to, there’s always that lingering threat of a devastating cheap shot.
No wonder why Dana White changed his tune https://t.co/AXQRwN1bUY
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) March 24, 2017
If the gloves came off, there’s no denying who would win. ‘The Notorious’ would annihilate Mayweather in an MMA bout, or even in a street fight. As Joe Rogan explained on a recent episode of the Joe Rogan Experience podcast, this could tip the psychological edge in the favour of the Irishman.
“McGregor said, ‘The only reason why this thing is fair is because we’re playing by boxing rules. If it’s a fight, I would fucking kill him.'”
“(That’s) 100% accurate, but he said something that no one’s been able to say to Floyd – ‘I will fuck you up!’ – and Floyd’s going to know that. At any moment, if Conor wanted to, he might just slide a little back and start kicking his face or kicking his legs out from under him, he wouldn’t know what the fuck to do!”
Mayweather may go in as a consummate professional and box the same way he’s always boxed to secure the victory. However, McGregor is a real wildcard.
Maybe the fact that a kick could be coming straight for his dome at any point will enter into Mayweather’s mind. Maybe it will distract him just enough to upset his rhythm and let his guard down. Maybe this could be the x-factor in the fight.
“Do you think he knows how to block a wheel kick? He’s going to get kicked in the back of the fucking head… The distance between punching and kicking is pretty substantial and Conor closes that distance in a really fast and really spectacular way. He comes at you with shit – front-kicks to the body, and you try to figure out where he’s coming at you with shit. He’s very unpredictable.”
Could Conor McGregor win?
Maybe, but probably not.
