Floyd Mayweather Recruits Ranked UFC Lightweight For McGregor Camp
It’s beginning to look more and more like the rumored super fight boxing bout between UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor and legendary boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. is going to happen.
With McGregor recently stating that the fight is ‘very close’ to happening, Mayweather has begun poaching fighters from the world of mixed martial arts (MMA) to help him prepare for the bout against ‘The Notorious One.’ No. 11-ranked UFC lightweight Kevin Lee recently told Helen Yee of Eyes On The Game that ‘Money’ has recruited him to be a part of his training camp for the rumored contest (quotes via Bloody Elbow):
“That fight with Floyd, it’s going to happen. Floyd’s management reached out to me a little while ago and asked me to be a part of the camp. So I’m excited to do that, I could use a couple bucks in my pocket, that’s for sure.”
Lee stated that McGregor is smart to take the bout as it is a win-win situation for the Irishman. Should McGregor lose all will be well because he was supposed to lose his first professional boxing match against arguably the greatest of all time, allowing him to return to the UFC and explore the plethora of money fight options available to him:
“It’s a win-win situation for him. If he loses — which he’s going to lose, he don’t stand a chance in the fight — he knows it going in he’s just there for the cash grab and then he’ll come back and fight (Nate) Diaz, or he’ll bump up and fight Tyron (Woodley), before he jumps down and messes with us real killers at 155. He ain’t stupid.”
If the fight were to be made ‘The Motown Phenom’ feels it would do great business for the sport of MMA, however, it would be a joke to the boxing world and ultimately kill the sport:
“It’s great for MMA. It’s a win-win for everybody, all things considered. As long as the UFC gets their cut. I think is the only thing holding them back is to negotiate the UFC’s number, because I’m pretty sure the UFC’s going to want a third.”
“But it’s great for MMA, because it has no downside. It’s horrible for boxing, I ain’t gonna lie. And they’re paying me, so I better…(laughs)…but it’s horrible for boxing. I think it’s going to kill the sport of boxing, but the money is too large to pass up.”
Lee doesn’t feel that Mayweather would be able to knock McGregor out seeing as ‘Mystic Mac’ is the larger man, but began to insinuate that the bout may not be a pure boxing match. He assumes Mayweather will have him prepare to defend against elbows and kicks:
“Floyd isn’t going to knock out Conor. Conor’s a much bigger man. I expect Conor to come out and try to sling Floyd around a little bit in the clinch, try to wear him down. If things get too hectic about that seventh, eighth round, he might start — I don’t know, he might start to rough him up with some elbows. I’m pretty sure Floyd’s going to have us prepare him for that — being able to throw him around, and maybe even kick him a little bit. You never know.”
