How does Conor McGregor fare with his boxing skills?
"McGregor's boxing skills are being underestimated. He's a lefty with a big right: ambidextrous thunder at lightning speed. Run, Floyd run." - tweeted by Skip Bayless at 6:01 p.m.
The #takes have already started regarding Conor McGregor's boxing skills ahead of his Aug. 26 fight in Las Vegas against boxing legend Floyd Mayweather.
Every time you thought you had heard the end of the anticipated fight, McGregor would share videos working on his boxing technique in the gym to rekindle the buzz around his fight with Mayweather.
In late April, he shared some insight into his boxing training:
"Myself and @sbgcharlestown have been working together on unrestricted, unarmed fighting, since we are kids. Not much will change when I fight under the famed, yet very limited, Queensbury rules. No disrespect to single discipline fighters, from boxing to kicking to grappling, just know that understanding one style of fighting is simply not enough. You are lying to yourself. You are easily dismantled in a true fight. A fight with no rules to protect you. In a straight fight, you do not possess enough tools to keep you alive. You will be dismantled and killed. Like the late, great Bruce Lee once said: "When you are talking about fighting, as it is, with no rules, well then baby, you'd better train every part of your body"
Other fighters have also shared film:
McGregor's footwork and hands-down style are what made him very successful in the UFC octagon. His coach John Kavanagh has also previously said that the southpaw's left hook is his biggest strength.
There are plenty of factors working against McGregor as he steps into Mayweather's domain. It's going to be interesting how much the distance between McGregor and Mayweather within the fight plays a role because in UFC, if someone gets too close there's the risk of getting grabbed. Mayweather won't get too close because that's his specialty. There's also the change of gloves from about four ounces to 10 ounces.
Following a loss in a rematch with Nate Diaz at UFC 202 in August of 2016, McGregor faced some criticism for his lack of boxing finesse. He threw a lot of punches and combinations before wearing himself out.
Former boxing world champion Antonio Tarver recently criticized McGregor's skills on the MMA Hour Podcast.
“Because Conor McGregor can't beat the top-20 in the division, how the f*** is he going to beat Floyd Mayweather?" Tarver said. "Not a f***ing chance in hell (of even a puncher's chance), because he's not punching with those four-ounce gloves on. He's punching with 10-ounce gloves on. Big difference.”
Height
Mayweather: 5'8"
McGregor: 5'9"
Reach
Mayweather: 72"
McGregor: 74"
Age on match day
Mayweather: 40
McGregor: 29
Fight weight: 154 pounds
Money line via the Westgate Las Vegas Superbook
Mayweather: -110
McGregor: +700
