Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
LAS VEGAS MAC TO THE WALL FOR MAYWEATHER
Rusty Floyd insists Mcgregor’s size & youth gives him the edge
FLOYD MAYWEATHER admits Conor Mcgregor has the edge over him – just weeks before their billion-dollar Las Vegas showdown.
The 40-year-old has come out of retirement to put his unbeaten 49-0 record on the line when he fights the UFC champion inside a boxing ring on August 26.
Mayweather is odds-on favourite against the 29-year-old Irishman, but says: “He’s a lot younger. When you look at myself and Conor Mcgregor on paper, he’s taller, has a longer reach, he’s a bigger man from top to bottom.
“He’s a lot younger, so youth is on his side. And I’ve been off a couple of years. And I’m in my 40s. So, if you look at everything on paper, it leans toward Conor Mcgregor.”
And in an interview with ESPN, he added: “I’m not the same fighter I was two years ago. I’m not the same fighter I was five years ago. I lost a step.”
In his fight against Andre Berto two years ago (left), Mayweather won by a unanimous decision but said: “A fighter like Berto isn’t even supposed to go the distance with Floyd Mayweather, but remember, I was 38.
“It’s obvious I’m slipping a little bit to even let a fighter like that go the distance with me.
“I’m not what I used to be. I used to have a 90 per cent knockout ratio. Its obvious I slipped somewhere. Something has taken a toll on my career.”
But Mayweather promises fireworks at the T-mobile Arena, insisting he “owes the public” after the disappointment of his underwhelming victory over Manny Pacquiao in May 2015.
He said: “This can’t be a defensive fight. I have to go to him. I owe the public because of the Pacquiao fight. They weren’t pleased with that. They’re going to be pleased with this fight.”