UFC lightweight Kevin Lee says he’s helping Floyd Mayweather train for Conor McGregor
Boxing legend Floyd Mayweather is recruiting one of the best prospects in the UFC lightweight division to help him prepare for a potential fight against Conor McGregor.
Eleventh-ranked lightweight Kevin Lee, who often trains out of Mayweather’s gym in Las Vegas, says that the superstar’s people have already reached out helping train for the proposed megafight.
“That fight with Floyd, it’s going to happen,” Lee told Helen Yee of Eyes on the Game. “Floyd’s management reached out to me a little while ago and asked me to be a part of the camp. And I’m excited to do that, I could use a couple bucks in my pocket. That’s for sure.”
The 24-year-old lightweight has amassed a 15-2 professional MMA record and is coming off a strong win against Francisco Trinaldo to crack the division’s top 15. However, that recent success won’t stop him from taking a little time off to help one of the greatest boxers of all time get ready for the biggest fight in combat sports today.
He’s just waiting on a time and place.
“I haven’t heard back yet because apparently training camp is starting soon for him,” Lee said. “I assume it’s because they want him to get into shape first before we start doing any type of sparring. The fight, they’re talking about happening in June. I hear that he’s starting training camp this week or next week. I’m assuming three weeks, four weeks for him to get into shape and be ready to spar. So, I’ll hear back, I think right now they’re working on the logistics of the fight before they plan the training camp.”
The hype behind the fight between the biggest draws in boxing and MMA has reached a fever pitch recently, with even UFC president Dana White acknowledging the bout would probably happen.
The exposure alone from the megafight would be a huge positive for MMA and Lee agrees that win, lose or draw from McGregor, the UFC comes out victorious.
“It’s great for MMA. It’s a win-win for everybody, all things considered," Lee said. "As long as the UFC gets their cut, which I think is the only thing holding them back is to negotiate the UFC’s number. Because I’m pretty sure the UFC is going to want a third, which with a fight of this magnitude is a lot of money.
"But, one thing, Floyd ain’t gon' knockout Conor. Conor is a much bigger man. I expect Conor to come out and try to sling Floyd around a bit in the clinch, try and wear him down. If things get too hectic around that seventh, eighth round, I don’t know, he might start to rough him up with some elbows. I’m pretty sure Floyd is going to have us prepare him for that, though.
