Tag: Floyd Mayweather

Sparring Partner Downplays Conor McGregor’s Knockout Power

Conor McGregor may not hit as hard as everyone thinks. The UFC lightweight champion is set to make his professional boxing debut against, arguably, the greatest to have ever done it in undefeated 49-0 Floyd Mayweather Jr. The pair are set to go 12 rounds on Showtime pay-per-view (PPV) next month (Sat. August 26, 2017). […]

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Conor McGregor may not hit as hard as everyone thinks.

The UFC lightweight champion is set to make his professional boxing debut against, arguably, the greatest to have ever done it in undefeated 49-0 Floyd Mayweather Jr. The pair are set to go 12 rounds on Showtime pay-per-view (PPV) next month (Sat. August 26, 2017). After a four stop World Tour to promote the bout in cities such as L.A., Toronto, Brooklyn, and London, the Irishman and “Money” can now focus on their physical preparations for the bout.

McGregor decided to bring on former IBF junior welterweight champion Paulie Malignaggi as one of his sparring partners. Malignaggi served as an analyst for Showtime during the pre and post shows for a couple of the press conferences on the Mayweather vs. McGregor World Tour.

The Irishman even posted a picture on social media recently showing he and Malignaggi sparring, in which McGregor holds his hands behind his back (similar to the way he did against Eddie Alvarez at UFC 205) to taunt the former junior welterweight champ. Malignaggi recently joined The Jim Rome Show yesterday (Wed. July 26, 2017) to talk about his time trinaing alongside the UFC mega-star.

One hot topic of discussion was McGregor’s storied knockout power, which has been the down fall of 18 out of the 21 opponents McGregor has defeated. While Malignaggi admits his power is above average, he wouldn’t go as far as saying McGregor has ”Oh my God’ power’: (quotes via MMA Mania):

“It’s definitely above average. I wouldn’t say it’s ‘Oh my God’ power,” Malignaggi said. “Now, ‘Oh my God’ power is very rare. There’s above average power, so if he lands a good shot on you, I mean granted, with small fight gloves he will hurt you, but it’s not ‘Oh my God’ power where every time he touches you you’re like my goodness, this is very uncomfortable. It’s not that kind of power, but it’s good enough.”

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Conor McGregor & Floyd Mayweather Have Agreed To USADA Drug Testing

It’s official, UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor and boxing legend Floyd Mayweather will undergo extensive USADA drug testing before their upcoming boxing match. The news was revealed when a USADA spokesperson spoke with MMAFighting.com. “The program is consistent with other professional boxing programs USADA has conducted over the years where the athletes agree to robust […]

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It’s official, UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor and boxing legend Floyd Mayweather will undergo extensive USADA drug testing before their upcoming boxing match. The news was revealed when a USADA spokesperson spoke with MMAFighting.com.

“The program is consistent with other professional boxing programs USADA has conducted over the years where the athletes agree to robust testing,” the USADA spokesperson said. 

Also, McGregor will continue to be tested under the UFC’s drug program as well. According to USADA, the UFC Lightweight Champion has been tested five times thus far this year.

Since it was announced that the boxing legend would be returning to the ring, he has been tested twice under USADA. It should be noted that Mayweather did not have to undergo drug testing between his retirement in 2015 and his return a few months ago. Back in 2015, he was tested 34 times by USADA.

If you recall, McGregor has criticized the system in the past. He spoke to MMAHEAT about USADA testing leading up to his UFC 194 fight with Jose Aldo.

“Even still, I think it’s a flawed system if I’m being honest. The UFC are taking great, great steps to clean the sport and it’s phenomenal what they’re doing. Still, it’s a flawed system,” McGregor said.

For the record, Mayweather had his own issues with USADA in 2015. The organization did not tell the Nevada Athletic Commission of a therapeutic use exemption for an IV used before his match against Manny Pacquiao in 2015.

According to the USADA spokesperson, both fighters will be vigorously tested leading up to their August 26th boxing match in Las Vegas.

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Four New MMA Weight Classes Approved By Combat Sports Commission

Earlier today (Wed. July 26, 2017) the Association of Boxing Commissions and Combative Sports (ABC) codified four new eight classes into the Unified Rules of MMA. Weight classes at 165 pounds (super lightweight), 175 pounds (super welterweight), 195 pounds (super middleweight) and 225 pounds (cruiserweight) have now beed approved. The welterweight division (170 pounds) will remain within the […]

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Earlier today (Wed. July 26, 2017) the Association of Boxing Commissions and Combative Sports (ABC) codified four new eight classes into the Unified Rules of MMA.

Weight classes at 165 pounds (super lightweight), 175 pounds (super welterweight), 195 pounds (super middleweight) and 225 pounds (cruiserweight) have now beed approved. The welterweight division (170 pounds) will remain within the Unified Rules.

The MMA rules and regulations committee, California State Athletic Commission (CSAC), and CSAC executive officer Andy Foster brought the new weight classes to the ABC body for approval as a part of Foster’s 10-point weight-cutting plan.

Although the committee passed the new weight classes last year, there wasn’t enough support from other committees to constitute a vote from the ABC body – until now. Now that the weight classes are now within the Unified Rules of MMA, however, that doesn’t mean major promotions such as the UFC or Bellator need to adopt them just yet, per rules and regulations committee chairman Sean Wheelock (via MMA Fighting):

“Just because cruiserweight now exists doesn’t mean that the UFC or Bellator or anybody else has to put in a cruiserweight division,” said Wheelock. “MMA promotions run their own belts — you can do a title at a 162.2 pounds if you want.”

Andy Foster believes that big promotions will begin to adopt the new weight classes once they begin being used in the amateur and regional levels:

“When California club shows and Texas club shows and others have 165- and 175-pound divisions and fighters are locked into those, then I think we’ll see a change,” Foster said. “It could take four or five years, maybe shorter than that.”

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Floyd Mayweather’s Team Recruiting Nate Diaz To Walk Out For McGregor Fight

If Floyd Mayweather’s team has their way, a face very close to Conor McGregor’s career will be walking out with their team when the legendary boxer faces McGregor on August 26 in Las Vegas. That’s according to Jason Lee, a member of Mayweather’s vast entourage, who told TMZ Sports that he’s made a call to […]

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If Floyd Mayweather’s team has their way, a face very close to Conor McGregor’s career will be walking out with their team when the legendary boxer faces McGregor on August 26 in Las Vegas.

That’s according to Jason Lee, a member of Mayweather’s vast entourage, who told TMZ Sports that he’s made a call to Nate Diaz, the UFC bad boy who handed ‘The Notorious’ his sole UFC defeat back in March of last year:

Lee revealed he’s from Stockton, and he’s motivated by what went down between his boy Mayweather and McGregor at the final world tour press conference stop in London two weeks ago, so he’s going to get ahold of the younger Diaz:

“I’m from Stockton, California, and I was just in London with Floyd when the shit went down with Conor. I’m gone make a call to Nate Diaz. I would love to see him walkout with Floyd.”

Mayweather and his team have repeatedly cited the fact that McGregor tapped out to a Diaz choke in their first meeting at UFC 196, pointing to that as evidence that the UFC lightweight champ is a quitter.

But “The Notorious” rebounded well to outlast Diaz in a closely-contested majority decision at August 2016’s UFC 202, avenging his only loss and moving on to dust Eddie Alvarez for the UFC 155-pound title that November. Diaz immediately began calling for a trilogy fight with McGregor after the controversial loss, so he could either want to support a fighter with a common enemy, or turn down the offer because he believes he should be the one fighting the Irish superstar.

Do you think Diaz should walk out with Mayweather in Las Vegas?

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Nate Diaz Recruited to Walk out with Floyd Mayweather at Conor McGregor Fight

Floyd Mayweather may be deploying some mind games against Conor McGregor leading up to their showdown on Aug. 26. 
Per TMZ Sports, a member of Mayweather’s camp is trying to get UFC fighter Nate Diaz to be part of the entourage that walks with May…

Floyd Mayweather may be deploying some mind games against Conor McGregor leading up to their showdown on Aug. 26. 

Per TMZ Sports, a member of Mayweather’s camp is trying to get UFC fighter Nate Diaz to be part of the entourage that walks with Mayweather to the ring prior to his matchup with McGregor in Las Vegas. 

Diaz and McGregor know each other very well. They have fought twice in the UFC, with Diaz winning the first match at UFC 196 thanks to a second-round submission. McGregor got revenge in the rematch at UFC 202 with a majority decision win. 

During Mayweather and McGregor’s worldwide press tour to promote their fight, Mayweather said “we know Mr. Tapout likes to quit.”

It’s not official that Diaz will be part of Mayweather’s walk-out entourage, but TMZ Sports did note there is a “real chance it will happen.”

Mayweather is returning to the ring for the mega-fight against McGregor in his first match since Sept. 2015 and is looking for his 50th career victory. McGregor is making his professional boxing debut after posting a 21-3 career record in 24 mixed martial arts fights. 

 

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Quote: I Do Not Believe Referee For McGregor-Mayweather Will be Bias

One Hall of Famer feels the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) will be fair to both Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather. That Hall of Famer is Billy Clancy, who worked many high-profile bouts as a boxing referee. MMA Latest News recently reached out to Clancy, who talked about the dangers McGregor can find himself in […]

One Hall of Famer feels the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) will be fair to both Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather. That Hall of Famer is Billy Clancy, who worked many high-profile bouts as a boxing referee. MMA Latest News recently reached out to Clancy, who talked about the dangers McGregor can find himself in […]