In less than two months, rising lightweight Kevin Lee will meet Tony Ferguson in by far the biggest fight of his MMA career when the two throw down for the 155-pound title at October 7’s UFC 216 from Las Vegas.
“The Motown Phenom” earned the high-profile bout after submitting noted grappler Michael Chiesa last June, his fifth straight win in the octagon and ninth overall in 11 UFC bouts. But while it’s certainly clear that Lee is making quite the name for himself fighting, that’s only been amplified by the direct connection he has to this weekend’s (Sat., August 26, 2017) massive Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor boxing match from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nev.
Lee helped Mayweather prepare for the Irish MMA star, and that firsthand eyewitness account not surprisingly has him picking the 49-0 ‘Money’ to outlast ‘The Notorious,’ who does not have a single professional boxing match on his record, during an interview on today’s The MMA Hour. It may not be as one-sided as many boxing fans are predicting, however, as Lee thinks McGregor will still win some rounds:
“You know me, I study the fights well. And being around Floyd and seeing him train, and seeing him spar, I’ve gotta take him. I thought he was gonna be able to stop McGregor in the later rounds, but the closer that the fight get and I kinda see McGregor’s mentality too, I think McGregor will stick it out and Floyd will end up carrying him the last three, four rounds even.
“So I think Mayweather still wins a decision; maybe 8-4, 9-3 something like that. It’s going to be terrible for boxing, I’ll tell you that. It’s going to be terrible for boxing just from the standpoint of there’s no other sport in the world you can go in with the best of the world and actually do good, and McGregor’s going to do good, he’s gonna win rounds, he’s gonna land some punches.”
Lee makes a good point in that sense, as you truly don’t see another sport where someone who has never competed professionally in it can come in and fight the so-called greatest of all-time. Now, the fight was obviously made because of the sheer spectacle and mountainous windfall of cash involved, but still, it’s a sobering thought when put in the terms Lee framed them.
He illustrated that point further by proclaiming that while he is the best wrestler in MMA, but he knows he can’t hang with USA Olympic standout Jordan Burroughs for long. He thinks he can box Mayweather for 12 rounds, on the other hand, and that’s why boxing is a fading sport. When the brash McGregor goes the distance with ‘Money,’ Lee believes, the facade will be exposed once and for all:
“There’s no other sport, I’m the best wrestler in MMA. Hands down. I got the numbers to back it up. I can’t go out there with Jordan Burroughs and last more than 30 seconds, like, I just know that. But I can go in there with Floyd Mayweather and I can last for 12 rounds. You feel me?
“So for boxing, as boxing standpoint, I think boxing was already dying anyway, and it’s really just going to show that it’s a bunch of smoke and mirrors too.”
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