Mayweather vs. McGregor Reveals Mass Ignorance

  I have been chomping at the bid to get into the analytics of the Mayweather vs. McGregor fight. I've listened to both sides of the clash, and there really doesn't seem to be much or any realistic opinions of the matchup. This fight is without a doubt, not on as neutral a ground as it should be, but there are essentials to combat that I'm surprised to see professionals missing.

 Over the last few weeks, I've heard interviews with fighters from the Mayweather gym and camp, talking about how perfect Floyd is in the ring, and how he will easily decimate and KO Conor McGregor. Reporters as well, have all been drilling the same argument, that due to Conor having no known professional experience, he stands no chance against arguably the best professional boxer. Then you have the few concessions of a puncher's chance. Many Mayweather gym boxers believe they would all KO Conor with ease, and smile about it, all based off of the fact that they don't know him to be a boxer at all, or to understand boxing techniques and set ups, as well as traps.

 Many feel that Conor should have been built up from a foundation, to become a "C level" boxer, to stand more of a chance than he does. In fact Pauli Malignaggi, was one such fighter who felt that way, and carried it into McGregor's camp with him to assist. I believe that was part of the fallout between the two that spilled out over 20 rounds of sparring and into the media. I heard one nugget of actual sense from Skip Bayless on First Take yesterday, after the reports were discussed about Paulie leaving Conor's camp. He said, "People have no idea of Conor's fighting IQ." That statement is loaded, and it is the core of this blog article. For years, people have gotten by, being one track and flawed in their thinking, and by being extremely ignorant, not only of things foreign to them, but different aspects of their so-called specialties. And this fight is going to surface that ignorance, if it plays out to its potential.

 If I was John Kavanaugh, I would do exactly as he is doing. I would not feed into the critique of boxing purists too much. The worst thing that a trainer can do to Conor right now, is strip his natural understanding and ability, and turn him into a basic C level boxer, that not only Floyd would tear through, but Conor would as well. That's ignorance, and that stance is solely motivated by passionate patriotism to boxing. Fighting IQ is something that is universal, meaning you have it or you don't, no matter where you are positioned. There are fighters that have been honing their boxing ability for years, namely many in the Mayweather gym, that have little to no IQ, and would get worked in a BOXING match against the likes of Conor McGregor, TJ Dillashaw, and Kevin Lee. Conor has shown a very high fight IQ his whole career. The fact that that's missed, simply because he hasn't done it in the boxing ring, is a hallmark of ignorance.

  You learn a lot about an artist, or a fighter, just by listening to them talk. The game is mental. Conor knows his boxing and combat sport history extremely well, as well as having the ability to break down positioning in combat situations. The boxing gym rats that cling to Mayweather, are a sea of mediocrity, and almost none of them can break down scenarios the way Conor does.

  In combat, there is give and take. It 's about positioning, timing, and setups. Conor does it well, and many boxers do it poorly, after decades in the ring. Floyd talks about walking down Conor, and everyone automatically believes it to be a likelihood, totally disregarding Floyd's style and history, simply because "Conor is not a boxer." That's stupid, and childish thinking. First off, ask yourself how Floyd looks when he opens an assault. He is not an effective volume puncher. And it isn't because of defensive issues. It's the fact that, when he attempts to open up, you have the natural openings that must be there due to physics, and you have his awkward nature in doing so, since he prefers to select 1-3 punches at a time and conserve energy. You all think he is some tank, who can keep going. Regardless of the millions of rounds he spars each camp with "no fatigue," he gets in the ring and takes breathers in his fights against Cotto, Berto, and Pacquiao. If you know what you are looking at, you will see it, without the interviews of the fighters themselves stating how he holds onto them and gasps to catch his breath during middle rounds.

  Floyd opening up with 6-8 punch combos and pressuring is counterintuitive to his style, which is why he doesn't do that. He is either lying, or he is going to make a huge mistake. Floyd Sr. thinks Conor is going to shell up like a deer in headlights, and be there from the opening bell, for Floyd to tee off on. That's putting an awful lot in the bank of hoping that the atmosphere absorbs Conor. That could happen, but with the ability that Conor has inherently, it does not have to happen at all, and that could spell huge trouble for Floyd if he is stupid enough to discount that possibility. Each guaranteed KO of Floyd has traditionally turned into a holding and running fest, where he edges out a decision. He ran from Pacquiao, and was still just about outboxed. He even ran from Berto. Both fights he guaranteed a KO and aggression. What Floyd will do in some early sequences of each fight, is initiate a few random blitz combos, of about 3 sharp hooks, or an uppercut to a straight. He launches this, as a safe version of slight pressure. If he sees that it doesn't overwhelm the opponent, and they don't fall into, or get stopped by the trap, he knows that he'd have to open up more lengthy combinations to have effect, which he won't, and he backs off. Why do you keep falling for the rhetoric? Floyd's flaws in both offense and defense are more revealed when he tries to apply pressure. He is susceptible to the jab, and straight left. His jab is lazy at times. He knows that the minute he opens up, those few little flaws, will split wide open. That's why he will not do that. If he takes the chance with Conor, swearing that Conor is out of his element, he deserves the L he might take.

  Another thing that is key is an experience based technique, which among others can undermine skill. Many of the purists are referring to it indirectly in their interviews. It's about where you are and when. Something that Floyd and GGG do extremely well, is position themselves appropriately to the extreme inside, or outside of their opponents lead leg. If you are orthodox, which GGG and Floyd are, you will lead more to the outside of the lead leg, and throw occasional left hooks, right hand counters over the top of lazy jabs, and rights to the body. With another orthodox fighter, you will split the stances more evenly, and step over to the extreme left with check hooks and uppercuts, or pull them in with feints, and counter over the top stepping to your right. By not standing square in the opponents lane, they apply some pressure and stifle movements without even having to step forward. A novice may not even notice what's happening, while they are getting lit up.


  What Floyd will do, as far as aggression, are well timed power shots. What Conor has to watch out for, is the gazelle punch and the check hook that Floyd is adept at. Both punches are similar, but different. The gazelle punch is a straighter punch that can split a guard, while the check hook turns both fighters, does damage, and throws off position for follow up attacks. Floyd is also one of, if not the best at throwing the right uppercut lead from orthodox stance. He can also throw it after a jab, or before a hook, usually a right hook. His right hook is also better than most boxer. The right hook and uppercut from orthodox stance takes exceptional skill, timing, and wisdom to be used effectively. Most boxer don't have the mental acumen to even bother throwing them often, because if not thrown well, you will be sorely out of position. They throw it at a defenseless opponent. Floyd will throw it at a defense. He's that sharp. Yet, I've seen Conor throw the rear hook and uppercut from each stance as well. It's another testament that fight IQ has nothing to do with which combat sport you choose. Conor has mentioned that he is aware of the very techniques of Floyd I just mentioned, which is another feather in his cap.

  Floyd is doing a lot of talking about stopping Conor, and people who don't know combat like they think, are eating it up. His only hope for a stoppage in this contest is either catching Conor early with a buzzing shot in a quick flurry and  jumping on him, if his hands hold up, or throwing a lead hook initiated flurry later in deep waters with Conor fading. He has all of these fools convinced that he will be uncharacteristic and sit in the pocket for a KO, simply because Conor is not a "boxer." Need I remind you all that sitting in the pocket and slugging is the lowest common denominator in boxing, and is not Floyd for that very reason. The most basic MMA striker can comprehend that level of striking. This is not to be confused with in-fighting, which Floyd does not excel at. Staying in the pocket relies on physicality, which is why Floyd never does it, even in fights he promises to. He would do well not to do it here, as it can be his undoing. He dared not against Berto, and he was even hesitant to do it against Pacman, who he actually had physical stats on. When you step into the fire like that, you putting your boxing skills to the side, and making it a clash of might. He will lose that clash. And if you are blind enough to think that MMA fighters aren't physical once they step into a boxing ring, you need help. If there is any seriousness to Floyd's KO aspirations, he better play the stamina or positional game.


  I'm just hoping that Conor can keep preparing well, and keep his head about him. He has the confidence. One thing that I would stress in training from day one, is fatigued defense sequences. You need to be tired at the end of sparring, and in pressure situations, where you work on slips, clinches, turns and inside counters. That seems like a small part, but that is the heart of boxing. Those are the sequences that decide fights, potentially quickly. If you know what to do in those instances, and feel comfortable in them, you can be confident knowing that you will be at your best on fight night. Because I assure you, Floyd will be Floyd, but he will test Conor with rushes, like he did Pacquiao, to see if he can get him out of there with a flash combo. If you study those nuances of boxing, they teach you a lot. Pacquiao, and even Maidana, as boxers, study how to roll and slip out of the back door, when being rushed with violent hooks and right hands, even from a faster fighter. Boxers drill this over and over in the gym. It's one of the differences between boxing and MMA, along with striking volume. Those are the adjustments that Conor needs, as well as hand positioning, getting used to keeping you hands up, even if it isn't your style. Every boxer knows how and when to do it, even if they fight with low hands. I'm not picking a winner, nor do I care. I just want to see education. I want Conor to make a good account of himself and shut up the many purists who don't realize how ignorant they are.

  For the Michael Montero's out there, who think they are pure boxing fans, I look forward to their education. I come from boxing roots. And you have to be stupid to call this fight a waste like Montero and others. This is such a crucial match in the development of MMA striking, and the comparison of conditioning between the sports. And it's the perfect fighter  to do it. One with transcendent skill- Conor. Now we get to see how fight IQ really translates accross combat situations. This is the furthest thing from a waste of a PPV, and if you have any real knowledge, you can see that. Tune in.