McGregor hopes to shock boxing world
SINGAPORE — Conor McGregor’s fight against Floyd Mayweather Jr. on Aug. 26 has been described by critics as a novelty and a sideshow, among other things.
McGregor’s camp doesn’t care what it’s called, promising only that it’ll be a contest.
“Keep doubting us. We love it,” McGregor’s agent, Audie Attar, said in an interview Friday. “The human element of sport is that anything can happen.”
Mayweather, who retired in 2015 after winning all his 49 professional fights as a boxer, is back in training at age 40 after accepting an offer he couldn’t refuse from the mixed martial arts fighter who has never had a pro boxing bout.
“These are two world-class combat sport athletes,” Attar said. “Yes, they come from different disciplines. Yes, there are going to be different rules, so it’s going to be confined within those set of rules and we understand that. But I don’t think you can take away from (McGregor’s) ability, his power, his reach, his . . . all these different attributes that I think he will bring to the table.”
Las Vegas oddsmakers made Mayweather an 11-1 favourite when the fight was announced this week — scheduled for 12 rounds at 154 pounds in a ring and under boxing rules.
“Floyd’s been an amazing tactician in term of his quickness, his ability to elude punches,” Attar said. “But I think on Aug. 26, I’m bullish on the idea that that’s going to change and he is going to meet someone that is going to have the physical attributes that will potentially catch him and be that one, 49-1.”