McGregor can blast Mayweather, says sparring partner Lobov Mixed martial arts champion Conor McGregor has never boxed as either a professional or amateur, but sparring partner Artem Lobov says the Irishman will blast the undefeated Floyd Mayweather when the two meet in Las Vegas on Aug. 26. The much-heralded boxing match pitting Mayweather, a 49-0 machine and one of the greatest boxers of all time, against McGregor, the UFC's first simultaneous two-weight world champion, was finally officially announced on Wednesday. Bookmakers immediately installed Mayweather as the hot favorite for the 12-round, super-welterweight bout. But Lobov says the 28-year-old McGregor is ready to write combat sports history by pulling off a shock win. "Just look at all the stats - Floyd hasn't faced anyone significant for a few years now," Lobov told Reuters in an exclusive telephone interview. "When he fought Manny Pacquaio it was five years after Manny's prime, he was on the way out basically. Conor is bigger, stronger, younger, and has a longer reach." Lobov said that McGregor's broader fighting skill set would give him a big advantage over the 42-year-old Mayweather, who is renowned as a brilliant defensive boxer. "If you look at Mayweather's fights he often likes to get into the clinch, but what is a boxer in a clinch against a wrestler, an MMA fighter? Boxers are absolute novices in the clinch," Lobov said. "Get a boxer and get him wrestling for a minute or two - the arms get so heavy, filled with blood, they can't even hold them up any more, they can't box." Known as "The Russian Hammer", the 30-year-old Lobov has trained and sparred with McGregor ever since the Dubliner started to ascend the mixed martial arts ladder. Famed for his granite chin and ability to keep coming forward, he has sparred countless rounds with the brash McGregor, who went on to become UFC champion at both featherweight and lightweight and is as well known for his trash talk as for his fighting skills. "He has incredible power, a power that nobody else has. I've never seen anyone hit that hard," Lobov said. "You won't see many other training partners around - only a Russian Irishman can take those bombs. That's why I'm there, from the start until the end." McGregor's stamina has previously been questioned, but a five-round war of attrition last August in a welterweight rematch against Nate Diaz - the only UFC fighter to defeat him - showed that he can go the distance. "There's a reason why MMA is only three five-minute rounds, or five fives when it's a title fight," Lobov explained. "MMA is so much more demanding on the body - the wrestling, the changing levels, all that takes a lot out of you. Boxing is a breeze for us after MMA." Lobov says he understands why Mayweather, who held world championships in multiple weight classes before retiring in September 2015, wants to take on what could be a risky fight. "You have to give Floyd respect - he loves to compete, he sees this young lion coming up, everyone is talking about Conor and saying he's potentially a man that could beat Floyd, also wants to prove the world wrong. "That is what makes this fight so interesting - Floyd is undefeated, Conor is young, he's the best MMA fighter ever. That's what makes it a great fight." Having witnessed McGregor's power first hand, Lobov is in no doubt that Mayweather's proud undefeated record is about to come to an abrupt end at the MGM Garden on Aug. 26. "When Conor connects, people fall and they don't wake up. That's why I believe Conor will stop him within six rounds." (Reporting by Philip O'Connor in Stockholm; editing by Mark Heinrich) http://www.reuters.com/article/us-boxing-mayweather-mcgregor-idUSKBN196173
A farce of a fight. Should be fought in a circus tent. It will last as long as Mayweather wants it to.
Said it before and am saying it again now, I hate boxing, a sport that damages people for other peoples vicarious pleasure. My father had trophies for boxing, I still keep them to always remind me of what barbarism does to a human soul and what I had to grow up with. A sordid so called sport.
100 Million USD for just over half an hour win lose or draw for the clever Irish MMA fighter (not boxer).. Pretty incredible when you think about it... People say the fight is a joke and yet they will still raise these huge salaries by buying PPV etc..
Floyd cannot stop the fight as his hands are too delicate to bother Connor.. He is a good ballet dancer though and will win with pure boxing defense and all that moon walking he does.. Obviously, if it was an MMA or street fight...A bloody horror story would commence. Now that,I`d pay to see.
The above graphic is as close as McGregor will get to landing a punch on Mayweather. Delicate hands or not, Floyd can punch. It's two different sports. It's like asking a baseball player to face the fastest bowlers at cricket. Even the boxing aspect of MMA is different. The stance, the distance from the opponent, the manner of avoiding punches etc. If Floyd wants to end it in 30 seconds he's more than capable. He'll probably drag it out with a defensive masterclass (ballet and moonwalking to some) to show how poor Connor is at boxing. If it was at MMA then I agree that would be a different outcome although I think it would be closer than the boxing will be. I don't think that there are enough MMA fans around the world to raise the $100M. Most boxing fans wont pay to see it. I certainly wont.
He reckons 8 0z gloves and it`s over in the first 3 rounds.. What you reckon? Might be worth a bet,,Even now the odd`s have gone down in a silly way.
Las Vegas books staring down Mayweather-McGregor disaster LAS VEGAS — People are putting their money where Conor McGregor’s mouth is. Though McGregor isn’t expected to leave his first professional boxing match a winner this weekend, if the brash UFC lightweight champ is somehow victorious, Floyd Mayweather Jr. won’t be the biggest loser in Las Vegas. Despite the overwhelming consensus from experts that the 29-year-old Irishman has little chance to beat the undefeated boxing legend this weekend, bettors are overwhelmingly in McGregor’s corner — accounting for 89 percent of all action, according to BetOnline.ag — and could be setting the city’s sportsbooks up for one of its darkest days ever. “This could be the worst loss in the history of MGM Resorts,” Jay Rood, vice president of MGM Resorts Race and Sports, told ESPN. Before the bout was officially scheduled, the Westgate Las Vegas Superbook listed Mayweather as a -2500 favorite, and McGregor as a +1100 underdog. As recently as June, Mayweather — who returns from a two-year layoff — was listed at -800, with McGregor at +500. With the action continuing to be so one-sided in McGregor’s favor, the fighter who has never lost to a professional boxer in 49 fights is currently listed at -475 to win, while the mixed martial artist is at +325 to win. Of Mayweather’s eight fights since 2011, the 40-year-old has only had such low odds to win in two fights — against Manny Pacquiao and Canelo Alvarez. http://nypost.com/2017/08/22/las-vegas-books-staring-down-mayweather-mcgregor-disaster/
Just been watching a bit of McGregor on Youtube as I knew nothing about him. It showed his greatest knockouts, which seemed to consist of him sitting on people and punching them in the head until the ref stepped in and stopped it. When he was upright and doing straight boxing he looks to have a very much amateur style - upright and flailing his arms about. From what I have seen he has absolutely no chance under boxing rules. It's like an olympic gold medallist having a World title fight as his first ever pro fight.
Worth noting that about a month ago an ex world boxing champion Paul Malignaggi laughed at the fight saying he could beat Connor at boxing with his feet tied together and one hand behind his back. Mcgregor camp signed him up for a weeks sparring and malignaggi agreed.. This is what happened to him..He left the camp next day.
He gave it a go, TKO in the 10th round. What now for Mc Gregor, back to the cage or fight someone else?
Watched the fight, at the insistance of my son. McGregor was game, but hopelessly outclassed as one would expect against someone like Mayweather. Certainly he showed signs that he could have a decent career in boxing if he put his mind to it and did things properly by working his way up. There was talk afterwards of him having a fight with Malignaggi, but only commentator speculation. I guess money will decide if that ever happens.
Even the Mayweather supporters all thought he won the first 5 rounds... Then fatigue took over!! Good fight though...I enjoyed it..Good entertainment! 10 Million USD per round!! He`ll get over it after buying his first luxury yacht! Fair play.
For those that doubt he was a true competitor for the first time in a boxing ring with the worlds best boxer! Kudos! Imagine if Mayweather got in the Octagon with this guy with MMA rules? Blood bath I suspect!
3 - 0 up at half time means nothing if ends 3 - 4 at full time. Boxing is an endurance sport as much as anything. 29 yo Macgregor just did not have it against 40 yo Mayweather.
Saying McGregor won the first 5 rounds is a bit optomistic. He won the first three on the score cards, and that's about right. The thing I love with boxing is how brains and skill can overcome brute force. Fights such as Ali-Foreman and Michael Watson taking Nigel Benn apart are fantastic to watch for me. Mayweather is a classic, defensive, skillful boxer. The reason McGregor won the first 3 rounds is because Mayweather let him because he needed to work out his style. No doubt that McGregor is bigger and physically stronger. Mayweather let him come at him so he could work him out, then, after that, totally took him apart. By the end, Mayweather was walking forward and being the aggressor. That's not even his normal style, but such was the ease in which he won that he was able to fight in such a way once he'd expertly taken all the sting out of McGregor. Reverse the roles, put Mayweather in a MMA fight, and you'd get the reverse result with Mayweather unable to deal with the situation, but this was a boxing match. It's like the commentators said - give Andy Murray a squash racket and put him in a squash court and you can guarantee he could do a pretty good job. Put him in against the World Squash Champion and he wouldn't have a chance. Same thing.
That is a very good analogy. I used to play a lot of tennis, badminton, squash and table tennis. I became pretty proficient at each but each was different and required quite differing approaches. Another example would be ice skating, skiing and roller skating.
