Tag: Mike Tyson

Mike Tyson Says He Respects Conor McGregor More After Floyd Mayweather Fight

Former world heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson said he gained respect UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor after watching his fight Saturday night against Floyd Mayweather Jr. 
On Wednesday, TMZ Sports passed along comments from …

Former world heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson said he gained respect UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor after watching his fight Saturday night against Floyd Mayweather Jr. 

On Wednesday, TMZ Sports passed along comments from Tyson about his view of McGregor after pushing Mayweather into the 10th round before suffering a knockout loss. 

“Yeah, I respect him [more after the fight],” Tyson said.

Tyson told the Pardon My Take podcast prior to the bout the MMA superstar was going to get “killed” in the boxing ring. 

                

This article will be updated to provide more information on this story as it becomes available.

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Where Would a Conor McGregor Win Rank Among Combat Sports’ All-Time Upsets?

By any measure, Conor McGregor enters his Aug. 26 boxing match against Floyd Mayweather Jr. as a massive underdog.
As of this writing, Mayweather is a -500 favorite to McGregor’s +375 (bet $500 to win $100 or bet $100 to win $375), but t…

By any measure, Conor McGregor enters his Aug. 26 boxing match against Floyd Mayweather Jr. as a massive underdog.

As of this writing, Mayweather is a -500 favorite to McGregor’s +375 (bet $500 to win $100 or bet $100 to win $375), but the line hardly reflects the actual odds at OddsShark. Oddsmakers opened Mayweather as a -2500 favorite; McGregor was a +1100 underdog.

But a historic level of wagering on McGregor has driven the price so low as to be almost unbelievable, especially if you consider Mayweather is a virtual lock.

Mayweather’s average line over the past decade is roughly -600. That’s the same as the current line against McGregor, of course, but you must remember that Mayweather averaged -600 while facing world-class boxers like Oscar De La Hoya, Canelo Alvarez and Manny Pacquiao.

Those boxers had long and storied careers before they stepped in the ring with Mayweather; McGregor has zero professional or amateur boxing bouts.

Make no mistake: This is one of the most lopsided fights in combat sports history. Even with the standard boxing practice of feeding cans to top prospects to build up their names, the idea of an undefeated, legendary boxer facing a debutant is unheard of.

In fact, if not for the greed of the Nevada State Athletic Commission—and its unique trait of bending over backward for Mayweather no matter the circumstance—this fight would not even be sanctioned. It’s only happening because it’s big money, and Nevada never turns down big money.

We’ve established that Mayweather vs. McGregor is a historically lopsided fight. What if McGregor wins? It would be the biggest upset in combat sports history, without question.

With that in mind, let’s take a walk through the history books and look at some of the other biggest upsets in both boxing and MMA history.

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Dana White Explains Why he Thinks Rousey Was The Mike Tyson of MMA

Ronda Rousey was the Mike Tyson of mixed martial arts (MMA) says Dana White. As the President of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), White has seen a bevy of fighters come and go. White believes “Rowdy” is on her way out of the sport, but her legacy won’t soon be forgotten. If she decides to […]

Ronda Rousey was the Mike Tyson of mixed martial arts (MMA) says Dana White. As the President of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), White has seen a bevy of fighters come and go. White believes “Rowdy” is on her way out of the sport, but her legacy won’t soon be forgotten. If she decides to […]

Conor McGregor Responds to Mike Tyson Saying He’ll Get Killed by Mayweather

Conor McGregor offered a brief retort to former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson, who argued McGregor will be overmatched in the ring when he faces off with Floyd Mayweather Jr. on Aug. 26.
“That’s nice Mike, but you’re looking at the new Don King here,…

Conor McGregor offered a brief retort to former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson, who argued McGregor will be overmatched in the ring when he faces off with Floyd Mayweather Jr. on Aug. 26.

“That’s nice Mike, but you’re looking at the new Don King here, son,” McGregor tweeted Tuesday. “Money is mine.”

Speaking with Barstool Sports’ Pardon My Take podcast, Tyson said McGregor will “get killed boxing” against Mayweather (via SI.com’s Chris Chavez):

“I got mad because I thought they were going to use MMA rules against boxing because that’s what it’s all about: Can the boxer beat the MMA guy? McConor put his dumba— in a position where he’s gonna get knocked out because this guy’s been doing this all his life since he was a baby. McConor can’t kick and grab and stuff so he won’t stand much of a chance.

“McGregor took the biggest sucker rules in the history of boxing.”

Tyson is certainly in the majority of fans who view McGregor as a decided underdog when he faces off with the unbeaten Mayweather. According to OddsShark, Mayweather is a 2-11 favorite.

McGregor has often been praised for his striking ability, but that’s within the realm of mixed martial arts. Being a good striker for an MMA fighter isn’t the same as being a skilled boxer.

On June 29, McGregor and Mayweather shared clips from their pre-fight training, and the difference in skill between the two stars was readily apparent:

Mayweather is 40 years old and hasn’t fought professionally since his victory over Andre Berto in September 2015. However, that doesn’t change the fact he’s one of the greatest defensive boxers in the sport’s history.

No matter how hard he trains, McGregor is facing an almost impossible race to catch up to somebody who’s among the most technically gifted boxers ever.

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Mike Tyson Says Conor McGregor Will ‘Get Killed’ in Floyd Mayweather Fight

Mike Tyson does not believe Conor McGregor stands a chance against Floyd Mayweather.
The former boxer revealed in an interview with podcast Pardon My Take that he believes McGregor made a serious mistake agreeing to boxing rules for the fight (h/t…

Mike Tyson does not believe Conor McGregor stands a chance against Floyd Mayweather.

The former boxer revealed in an interview with podcast Pardon My Take that he believes McGregor made a serious mistake agreeing to boxing rules for the fight (h/t Chris Chavez of SI.com):

“McGregor is going to get killed boxing. I got mad because I thought they were going to use MMA rules against boxing because that’s what it’s all about: Can the boxer beat the MMA guy? McConor [sic] put his dumba*** in a position where he’s gonna get knocked out because this guy’s been doing this all his life since he was a baby. McConor [sic] can’t kick and grab and stuff so he won’t stand much of a chance.”

“McGregor took the biggest sucker rules in the history of boxing.”

Tyson also said he would have allowed MMA rules if he had ever fought McGregor.

Frankly, Tyson has a point here. McGregor is at a pronounced disadvantage against Mayweather by fighting him using boxing rules. While Mayweather has boxed his entire life and has never lost in his professional career, going 49-0, McGregor has fought using completely different rules in the UFC.

Put another way: There are very few, if any, professional boxers near Mayweather’s weight division who would be favored against him.

Now, this isn’t to say that McGregor can’t pull off the upset. He has the combination of power and speed to give any fighter issues. Seven of his nine wins in the UFC have come by either TKO or KO by punches. There’s no question that McGregor can take a beating and keep pressing forward. 

If McGregor can get into Mayweather’s guard and consistently pressure him and wear him down, he can use his superior power to potentially win the fight. But that’s been the game plan for many boxers before him, none of whom succeeded against Mayweather’s speed, precision and boxing IQ. 

And Tyson, at least, doesn’t believe an MMA-fighter-turned-boxer will be the first to pull off the feat.

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Mike Tyson Feels Conor McGregor Will Look ‘Really Ridiculous’ Boxing Floyd Mayweather

Count Mike Tyson as another boxing icon that doesn’t give Conor McGregor a chance against Floyd Mayweather in a boxing match. It’s well known by now that Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) lightweight title holder McGregor wants to face Mayweather in a boxing ring. So much so, that he’s signed his end of the deal and […]

Count Mike Tyson as another boxing icon that doesn’t give Conor McGregor a chance against Floyd Mayweather in a boxing match. It’s well known by now that Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) lightweight title holder McGregor wants to face Mayweather in a boxing ring. So much so, that he’s signed his end of the deal and […]