UFC lightweight contender Kevin Lee feels Floyd Mayweather may be taking Conor McGregor a little too lightly.
Based on the promotional videos that have been released so far, there looks to be a contrast between the training practices of both Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Conor McGregor. More notably, Mayweather has been seen roller skating, riding horses, and eating burgers mid-camp, which may have caused some spectators to draw conclusions that he is not taking the fight seriously.
UFC lightweight contender Kevin Lee is one of them, and he is basing off his judgment on what he has seen so far with Mayweather’s approach in training.
“I don’t know how well Floyd’s preparing, I don’t see any sparring partners (he’s training with),” Lee told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “I don’t know; I’m just not liking the approach to his training camp. So, it’ making me a little uneasy about betting the house on Floyd.”
“Floyd can’t underestimate Conor, whatsoever, and he might be doing that,” he continued. “It might a little underestimation of the style, and if you do, you’re gonna get caught, and you’re gonna get clipped, especially with eight-ounce gloves.”
McGregor himself repeatedly said that with the approval of the smaller eight-ounce gloves, he will be able to finish Mayweather inside two rounds. But according to Lee, it is not because McGregor hits hard, but because of the other variables involved.
“People think it will make Conor hit harder,” Lee said. “I think that’s a big misconception that Conor hits harder than Floyd, he doesn’t at all. I’ve seen Floyd hit the bag, I’ve seen Conor hit the bag, Floyd definitely hits harder.”
“It’s the distance, it’s the timing, it’s those little gaps. When you put your hands up and he’s going behind that shell, it leaves those bigger gaps. And Conor’s more used to that with the four-ounce gloves. The distance, it changes a little bit, the less padding you have on the gloves.”
“I think the distance and the timing is what it’s really gonna change, more so than Conor’s gonna be able to hit harder because he’s got smaller gloves on.”
Mayweather vs. McGregor is scheduled for 12 rounds on Saturday, August 26th at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.