Maverick McGregor sure he will beat Mayweather
MIXED martial arts fighter Conor McGregor says he has become the face of the fight game ahead of his upcoming multimillion-dollar boxing match against Floyd Mayweather in Las Vegas this month.
The Irishman, 29, who has never boxed professionally, said at the UFC Performance Institute in Las Vegas on Friday that his sole concern was getting the win – the cash was a secondary issue.
UFC lightweight champion McGregor is due to face Mayweather, 40 – who retired in 2015 with an unblemished 49-0 – on August 26 in a 12round super welterweight boxing bout.
“I am the face of the fight game, period. And I’ll rule over both [boxing and MMA] with an iron fist – an iron left fist,” he said.
The fight against “Money” Mayweather will shoot the brash Irishman into the financial stratosphere, but McGregor said he was not worried about the cash. “The word [money] isn’t even in my vocabulary.
“I’m preparing to win, and to win in devastating fashion,” he said. “I don’t care about money. “As long as I make my correct decisions and don’t make stupid decisions, I’m set for life.”
Wearing a robe made for him by fashion designer Donatella Versace, emblazoned with his name and “Notorious” nickname in gold on the back, McGregor said he felt in pristine condition. “This is a fight that has been in my crosshairs since Floyd’s been opening his mouth, simple as that,” McGregor said of his decision to chase a match-up against one of boxing’s greatest.
Both fighters have said the contest at the T-Mobile Arena will not go the full 12 rounds.
Mayweather said on Thursday that the fight going the distance would represent a victory for his opponent.
“You know what I heard him say yesterday? Nothing,” McGregor scoffed in response.
“I saw a man scared. I saw a lacklustre workout. I saw a man trying to talk himself out of it. That’s what I saw.”
McGregor warmed up and then pulled on his boxing gloves, working up a sweat on a selection of punch bags.
After a flurry of punches on the final bag, McGregor still had one more parting shot for boxing fans.
“I just want to say to all of boxing – it’s OK to love me as much as I love me.” –
This is a fight that has been in my crosshairs since Floyd’s been opening his mouth