What they’re saying about the Mayweather-McGregor fight
Quotes from people in the MMA and boxing world about the Floyd Mayweather-Conor McGregor boxing match Saturday at T-Mobile Arena.
Vasyl Lomachenko, WBO junior lightweight champion:
“I don’t take this fight seriously. I take it more of a show. It’s more of a theater for me than an actual fight.
Conor McGregor, UFC star:
“I’ve been lacing up the gloves my whole life. People talk like I’m a day one novice or something. I’m a multiple-weight world champion in multiple organizations. I’ve been lacing up the gloves my entire existence. Of course, we will come with a different approach than people are used to. We will paint many pictures inside the ring. That’s it.”
Floyd Mayweather Jr., Five-weight world boxing champion:
“What I’m saying is this: On paper, we know he’s taller. We know he has a longer reach. We know youth is on his side, OK? And I guess everybody is saying power is on his side. But I’m saying IQ is on my side, experience is on my side, and I think just fighting knowledge is on my side.”
Bob Arum, Top Rank promoter:
“I don’t know how it turns out, but you don’t put a guy who has no boxing experience in with a guy who is considered to be the best fighter of the era. We don’t do that. Let him fight a four-round fight first and see. … The kids at my gym would knock the hell out of (McGregor).”
Edson Berto, Professional MMA fighter:
“There are guys who I think have better boxing skills than Conor in the UFC. But Floyd would not fight them because he won’t make money with them. Conor McGregor has got a whole country behind him.”
Freddie Roach, Renowned boxing trainer:
“If (McGregor) gets far enough behind, he gets frustrated enough, I think he’s going to go off. I think he’ll do a choke-out or a kick. I wouldn’t be surprised if something like this happens, but when you cross over into other sports like this that don’t mix that well, I mean, winning is everything in combat sports, and no one likes losing.”
Andre Berto, Last fighter to face Mayweather:
“Boxing fight game is completely different world from MMA. It doesn’t matter if it’s four or five rounds. You’re in there with a master at his craft. MMA guys at a big disadvantage. If they get tired, they’ll take you down. Different technique to stand up for 12 rounds against a professional who can pick you apart. It’s a discipline you’re not a master of.”
Holly Holm, Former world boxing champion and ex-UFC women’s bantamweight champion:
“There’s not a lot of people that would try this, but if anybody would, it’s going to be Conor. He’s fought some of the best under a lot of pressure. He’s really conquered a lot, and he believes in himself. Those are some of the biggest things to overcome. It’s definitely a different kind of fight. Anybody has a chance. There’s huge upsets in sports for a reason. I expect Mayweather to win the fight, obviously. But that’s not to say Conor can’t.”
Sugar Ray Leonard, Boxing legend:
“This thing with McGregor, is it a spectacle? Yes. Can it help boxing? I don’t know. It brings everything to the light. It is one of those fights you can’t miss or will be OK to miss. It’s different excitement. It helps both sports, it helps MMA and it helps boxing.”
Dana White, UFC president:
“Listen, when you put two people (together) anywhere and they start throwing punches, anything is possible. Floyd Mayweather is going to be 41 years old this year. If there is a kink in that armor, it has been with southpaws. Conor McGregor is a southpaw. He is 28 years old, and he hits like a truck. When he hits people, they go. And if he hits Floyd, I think he will hurt him. And when he hurts people, he puts them away.”
Gennady Golovkin, Middleweight titlist:
“McGregor and Mayweather fighting before me (and Canelo Alvarez) not a problem. So many people fighting this weekend and next weekend. If people want to watch a true fight, the real fight, Sept. 16 is their day.”
More boxing: Follow all of our boxing coverage online at reviewjournal.com/boxing and @RJ_Sports on Twitter.
