Talking almost done as McGregor and Mayweather prepare to lock horns
CONOR McGregor and Floyd Mayweather will finally lock horns in their massively anticipated showdown at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday night.
For weeks the UFC kingpin and the greatest pound-for-pound boxer in world history have been facing off in a series of promotional events that have fuelled the exciting of millions of combat sport fans eagerly awaiting this weekend’s clash.
As always Crumlin man, McGregor, is brimming with confidence, brazenly predicting a first round stoppage of a fighter who has won all of his 49 professional fights and raised world titles across five divisions.
McGregor, the first fighter to simultaneously hold two UFC titles, is making his pro-boxing debut, but has been unabashed in forecasting a comfortable demolition of his opponent.
While many believe such predictions to be incon-ceivable, McGregor is not fazed by his lack of boxing experience and insists he has the capacity to bring this fight to an early conclusion.
“I believe he’ll [May-weather] be unconscious inside one round” he told fans and media at the Grand Arrival event in Las Vegas earlier this week.
Prior to that, the Dubliner told Sky Sports “I wouldn’t be surprised if I go out there and flatten him in the first exchange. I don’t see him lasting two rounds in these eight ounce gloves.
“Part of me wants to showcase a little more. I know that the ‘lucky pun-ch’ shout will be thrown.”
Regarding his preparation for the showdown he said “It (training) has been a lot more specialised, a lot more focused on one discipline.
“I didn’t have to worry about kicks coming at me, elbows, knees, clinches, take-down, working my bottom game, working my top game.
“It’s good to be able to park many disciplines off for a period of time and really focus on the sweet science that is boxing. It’s been an amazing camp” he said.
Among those who be in McGregor’s corner for this fight will be cutman Tommy McCormack.
The Tallaght resident is a coach with Eddie Hyland in N7 Boxing Club and will bring some valuable experience to McGregor’s corner.
Mayweather, while having been more tempered in his build-up to the fight said at his Grand Arrival “I try to stick to the same game plan, stay relaxed go to the gym and just work hard everyday.
“I’m a lot older now so as you get older, your body needs a lot of rest so for this training camp I done more resting to let the body recoup and rejuvenate.”
McGregor is sure to be well supported on the night, and he knows that, declaring “Over the course of this next week Vegas is Ireland.”
