UFC lightweight champ Conor McGregor surprised many pundits in his professional boxing debut against all-time great pugilist Floyd Mayweather Jr. in the mega-money bout this past August. Mayweather stopped Conor McGregor with a barrage of punches in the 10th round of their blockbuster match.
After the showdown concluded the pair were the best of mates, but The Irishman has since insisted he would beat Mayweather in the rematch while Mayweather insists he let the fight last to make it entertaining.
Mcgregor is busy in displaying the headlines, for outside-of-the-cage troubles recently shoves the referee at Bellator 187 and rumored altercation with Irish cartel and night out with British singer Rita Ora. Most fans and MMA community waiting for him to unify the title, with interim champ Tony Ferguson, but McGregor still fascinating about lucrative fights.
He recently speaks with BBC (via MMA Weekly) about the technical adjustments Mayweather made during the boxing match labeling the great mastermind in the ring:
“It is what it is. I got beat. He’s a tactical genius in there. He changed his game plan three times, that’s the sign of a true champion. First, Philly shell, second rope-a-dope, third when both of those was getting picked at, he went Mexican style, hands up, knuckles above the eyebrows, dipped in low an just walked forward. It’s like an ugly boxing style.
“But he was able to change that game plan three times. It’s the sign of a true champion. He got the win, fair play to him.”
Most like when Mcgregor lost the bout in the second round against Nate Diaz at UFC 196 back in 2016, he renews his training adjustments and won the rematch with Nate Diaz five months later. So thinking about a rematch with Mayweather wouldn’t be a bad idea, as Irishman knows how to turn the game.
Mcgregor insisted he might not pursue the fight because he knows Mayweather has floated off to retirement, but if talks of rematch happen, he knows how to playout the rematch.
“If it happened in a rematch, it’s a simple adjustment of me having a heavier sparring partner coming in, in the later rounds, and lean on me and walk me down. Where as in my sparring in the lead up to the camp, we were always against fast, twitchy, light on their toes opponent with a Philly shell style and their backs against the ropes. Never against forward pressure because he’s never fought like that so it took us by surprise and I got beat.
“If I had a rematch, I would correct that and I would beat him. He’s retired. I’m not going to start calling him out of retirement. I’m going to leave him to it. If it happens, maybe it will, who knows — I would beat him no doubt.”
UFC champ banked millions from his debut mega fight and doesn’t seem to be in any rush to get back into the cage anytime soon but looking for lucrative deals.
The chances that he’ll get to retaliate the loss to Mayweather seem rather narrow, but McGregor still believes that he would come out top against him.
Recently Mayweather threw a shade on Mcgregor that he carried him throughout their fight just to make look good for fans. Who knows this could trigger a rematch, not a bad idea.
