I have to speak on the Conor McGregor vs. Floyd Mayweather fight. I have listened to ignorant rhetoric for far too long, and I am disgusted. I will say that it's good to hear that the deal seems to be nearly finalized. Hopefully, Conor has been active and hungry during these quiet months.
I always hear arguments to the extremes. Some, angrily defend their position as MMA advocates, and think that Floyd should get KO'd because of his personality, and "what" he represents. Then, you have those who fancy themselves connoisseurs, and honest, knowledgeable boxing minds, who take the stance that Floyd, who couldn't put away a fighter for almost a decade, will undoubtedly kill McGregor, walking him down, and stopping him.
Before I break into my argument, I just want to make it know to those who know less than they think about this, that there are currently, and have been several MMA champions, who regularly spar with world champion boxers, and hold their own in gym wars, where the real fights happen. When I say real fights, I mean the fact that, in case you don't know a fighter by the name of Spadafora, is known for beating the tar out of the undefeated Floyd Mayweather in sparring. The fighters you see under the lights, are often carefully tailored- especially when they are fighters who are marketed as unbeatable.
Everyone saw Conor box the crap out of Nate Diaz in both of their fights. The knock on Conor as a boxer, comes from the neanderthal-like reasoning, that they don't know of any pro boxing fights that he has had. Nate Diaz regularly spars with Andre Ward, who is not just a world champion, but considered by some to be right on level with Floyd Mayweather. No one seems to do the math, and realize that if Conor, while undersized, dealt with him pugilistically, it stands to reason, he can probably box. I come from boxing roots. I've gone on record many times stating that the technique, as far as boxing goes, amongst MMA fighters, is usually laughable. They don't throw correctly, usually, and they don't set up, or defend appropriately while throwing. That is a blanket statement. Conor does not have all of those same issues, which is why he was able to handle Diaz in a way not seen before.
I agree that Conor needs to put the rounds in, because boxing is game of repetition and muscle memory at a point. However, talent and technique are indiscriminate. When I watch Conor, I look at his pad work carefully, and his footwork and coordination. All of his striking talent, is transcendent. I've heard that he had an amateur boxing career in Ireland. But regardless of the accuracy of that, his ability, defense and timing are what they are. Not only can he take a punch, but he is able to avoid one. Max Kellerman made a statement, that fighters with good chins, only appear to have them, and are adept at tucking their chins to avoid punches. He is considered and expert, which is laughable, but no longer surprises me. He has never been an expert. He is the millenial's version of an expert- someone who stands around something for an extended period of time. He has no knowledge of the sweet science itself, of judgment about fighter ability. Jim Lampley dances circles around him, as far as understanding goes.
Max Kellerman, expert that he is, goes back to the same logic that the layman does, when things get technical. That's why, the MayPac fight from a couple of years ago went down, and Floyd was exposed, and just about outboxed, Max saw what every stupid American fan saw- Floyd schooling Manny. I don't judge a person by how they state the obvious, but by how they respond when you can't. That fight was very technical, and only those who understand technique, and the art of fighting itself, sees what happens in those kinds of fights. A person should not be considered any kind of boxing expert, if they can't tread those deep waters. But that's the millenial age of 2017.
Conor has been sparring at Freddie Roach's gym and a few others. According to Roach, he punches like a girl, and I agree with that to a degree. Conor slaps his punches at times, not unlike Keith Thurman. When you have power, you don't develop an urgency to straighten punches. That's one MMA trait that has to be refined in Conor. Movement wise, he is excellent in the ring. What people need to understand, is that a fighter who can escape the clinch, and slip and counter kicks and punches, is going to have some, if not a great ability to slip only punches. Everyone is envisioning Floyd walking Conor down, with no way for Conor to stop his onslaught of punches. If Conor understands the mentality aspect of boxing, that absolutely will not happen. Mechanically, I've seen awareness and execution from Conor in pad work, that rivals if not equals Mayweather.
It doesn't matter how many years anyone has boxed for. The question is how much have you learned. Maidana learned how to cover up, change levels, and jab. He was not stellar in his technique. He developed stamina, and was used to 12 rounds fights. Was he a world class boxer- yes. Did he have far more years of experience than Conor- yes. Was he a better technical boxer than Conor- not necessarily. Experience is key in boxing, but just like martial arts, it's about how much you learn. It's about how you understand the concept of timing and distance. McGregor understands that very well. That's what intrigues me about him. I'm looking forward to the fight, because it's going to be another reminder to people of how little they know about boxing. Don't be shocked if McGregor clips and hurts Floyd. Remember how long these negotiations have been. Floyd doesn't enter a contract that he doesn't have a 100% chance of victory in. His money and legacy are tied to him being undefeated, so that has been sadly fabricated throughout the latter half of his career. That's something, I've always detested about Floyd, because talent-wise, I really feel he could be one of the best.
If this was truly a walk-through, I don't think the negotiations would have been this tied up. It isn't just money. Everyone is going to get paid. It's also about the threat Conor poses. Floyd won't step into it until it is assured he will win, and in the end, he's seen it, journalists have seen it, and any honest fan has seen it- that McGregor is historically, a wild card.
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