Apparently Conor McGregor might be doing a little better than people think…
During the busiest month for MMA news in 2017, June was fast paced and shocking. Merging the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts waqs the bombshell announcement of Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor.
Offering a likely once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, the bout will pit MMA’s best against the world’s premier boxer. Although past his prime, Mayweather remains unbeaten at 49-0. Perhaps part of what makes this bout so interesting is that maybe, just maybe, ‘The Notorious’ actually does have a punchers chance.
Training footage released earlier this week did little more than fuel the fire for both sides of the argument.
McGregor’s Sparring Partner Opens Up…
During an interview with MMAFighting.com, one of McGregor’s sparring partners gave some intriguing insight. Commonwealth youth boxing silver medallist Tiernan Bradley said McGregor hits a lot harder than people realise, and is actually a way better boxer than people think:
“People laugh when they hear me saying I can replicate Mayweather,” Bradley told MMA Fighting. “I guess nobody can move like Floyd, but I’ve been studying everything about the guy for the last 13 years.”
“Conor is a very good boxer,” Bradley said. He doesn’t move like any other boxer. He’s powerful, fast and light on his feet … He’s very good at getting in and out and connecting. He’s so quick on his feet it’s very hard to judge the distance with him.
“He’s so fast and unpredictable — that’s a very dangerous combination. I don’t think Mayweather has ever boxed anyone like that.”
McGregor is Apparently Busting Up Sparring Partners With 16oz Gloves…
He added: “It’s very different to any style I’ve seen over the years. He has this strange style and he can keep going at a serious pace for 12 rounds. He’s on his toes and he’s constantly keeping you guessing.
“My biggest takeaway from the rounds was the pace that we fought at and that he seemed unbreakable. I found it very hard to figure him out.”
“I’ve got a black eye at the moment and I got that from him when he was wearing 16-ounce gloves,” Bradley said.
“I don’t know if you’ve seen the photo that he uploaded onto his Instagram after our session. People are talking about his left hand and whether the power will be there with 10-ounce gloves — he lifted me off my feet with a right uppercut in 16 (ounce gloves)!
“That shot came out of nowhere. It was so fast and powerful. I can tell you now that those kinds of shots would drop boxers, and that was his right hand. He will definitely keep his stopping power with 10-ounce gloves on.”
Confidence…
“I was getting ready to spar when he came into the gym,” Bradley said. “I thought he would go upstairs to get ready himself, but he came straight over to me and shook my hand and asked me was I ready for sparring.
“He didn’t say anything specifically about the fight, but you get an unreal sense of confidence from that guy. This was the first time I met him. The way he walks, the way he talks, you can’t help but notice his self belief. It just oozes out of him.
“When you’re sparring him that same confidence is with him. He has a whole team behind him giving him advice and supporting him. There’s a great mood in the camp.”
“Looking at Conor yesterday,” he said, “I know he’ll give Floyd a hard fight. This will not be a walkover. I really think whoever puts more into their camp will win it. I know that Conor is putting in the work and that his confidence is through the roof. He’s going to be ready when fight night comes around.”
I’m not a fan of either of these blokes, but apparently you haven’t seen the footage from Conor’s sparring, where he looks like he’s never been in the ring before in his life. Floyd is going to slaughter him.
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