NSAC executive director Bob Bennett would approve Conor McGregor boxing license

While the idea of Conor McGregor entering the boxing ring to challenge pound-for-pound legend Floyd Mayweather Jr is nice on paper, the Irishman would first have to obtain a Nevada state boxing license if he wanted to cash out in the “Fight Capital of the World.” After all, the potential superfight has been rumored to take place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Luckily for McGregor, the state’s commission already seems to be on board in granting him access to the world of boxing.

“It’s definitely an approvable fight,” said Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) executive director Bob Bennett during a recent interview with Boxing News. “This isn’t the first time something like this has happened, it is a bit of an anomaly, it’s unusual because both fighters are phenomenal fighters.

“But back in August of 1957 Floyd Patterson fought Pede Rademacher, Rademacher was making his pro debut, and they fought for the world heavyweight title. Patterson won by KO in the sixth round. So even though this would be Conor’s pro debut as a boxer, there is some precedence, but this would be the first time we see two fighters at this level, one from the MMA world and one from boxing, having a fight.”

In order to further support his potential decision to allow McGregor to fight Mayweather in his professional boxing debut, Bennett insists that McGregor is no ordinary fighter.

“When you go back, he took up kickboxing at the age of 12.” said Bennett. “As a youth he became an All-Ireland boxing champion. He goes to the UFC, of course he had several [MMA] fights before that, and while he’s with the UFC he’s 21-3 with 17 of those wins coming via knockout or TKO.

“He’s a stand-up fighter, he’s a southpaw, he hits like a tonne of bricks, he’s got a great jaw, he’s 5’ 9’’ and he’s got a reach of 74 inches. If you take a look at his wins in the UFC, they’re predominantly from striking [punching] and if you take a look at the fact he was able to move from 145[lbs] to 155 to 170, he’s displayed some awesome unarmed combat skills.

“He’s proven that he can fight as a stand-up fighter. I’ve seen some tape of him boxing, I’m sure I’ll get an updated version of his skill-set as a fighter. I certainly think he’s worthy of being approved to fight Floyd Mayweather. His UFC background is critical in approving this fight.”

There you have it. At least in the eyes of the NSAC’s executive director, McGregor’s previous work inside of the Octagon would be enough to score him a boxing license. Considering the amount of money that all parties involved would be in line to bank for this fight, was there ever a doubt that “Notorious” could earn the approval from his old buddies?

While the idea of Conor McGregor entering the boxing ring to challenge pound-for-pound legend Floyd Mayweather Jr is nice on paper, the Irishman would first have to obtain a Nevada state boxing license if he wanted to cash out in the “Fight Capital of the World.” After all, the potential superfight has been rumored to take place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Luckily for McGregor, the state’s commission already seems to be on board in granting him access to the world of boxing.

“It’s definitely an approvable fight,” said Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) executive director Bob Bennett during a recent interview with Boxing News. “This isn’t the first time something like this has happened, it is a bit of an anomaly, it’s unusual because both fighters are phenomenal fighters.

“But back in August of 1957 Floyd Patterson fought Pede Rademacher, Rademacher was making his pro debut, and they fought for the world heavyweight title. Patterson won by KO in the sixth round. So even though this would be Conor’s pro debut as a boxer, there is some precedence, but this would be the first time we see two fighters at this level, one from the MMA world and one from boxing, having a fight.”

In order to further support his potential decision to allow McGregor to fight Mayweather in his professional boxing debut, Bennett insists that McGregor is no ordinary fighter.

“When you go back, he took up kickboxing at the age of 12.” said Bennett. “As a youth he became an All-Ireland boxing champion. He goes to the UFC, of course he had several [MMA] fights before that, and while he’s with the UFC he’s 21-3 with 17 of those wins coming via knockout or TKO.

“He’s a stand-up fighter, he’s a southpaw, he hits like a tonne of bricks, he’s got a great jaw, he’s 5’ 9’’ and he’s got a reach of 74 inches. If you take a look at his wins in the UFC, they’re predominantly from striking [punching] and if you take a look at the fact he was able to move from 145[lbs] to 155 to 170, he’s displayed some awesome unarmed combat skills.

“He’s proven that he can fight as a stand-up fighter. I’ve seen some tape of him boxing, I’m sure I’ll get an updated version of his skill-set as a fighter. I certainly think he’s worthy of being approved to fight Floyd Mayweather. His UFC background is critical in approving this fight.”

There you have it. At least in the eyes of the NSAC’s executive director, McGregor’s previous work inside of the Octagon would be enough to score him a boxing license. Considering the amount of money that all parties involved would be in line to bank for this fight, was there ever a doubt that “Notorious” could earn the approval from his old buddies?