The story appears on

Page A15

June 16, 2017

GET this page in PDF

Free for subscribers

View shopping cart

Related News

Home » Sports » Boxing

Mayweather gets a warning over McGregor

AMERICAN mixed martial arts fighter Holly Holm yesterday backed Conor McGregor to cause Floyd Mayweather problems after their cross-over boxing showdown was confirmed.

Ireland’s McGregor will be the heavy underdog against 49-0 Mayweather but Holm knows a few things about upsets, after she ended Ronda Rousey’s unbeaten run with a brutal knockout in 2015.

“I’m one of those who believes in being able to cross over,” said Holm, a former boxing world champion, ahead of her UFC fight in Singapore tomorrow. “Boxing is a whole different world... but Conor really believes in himself, and I think he’s going to put up a good fight.”

Mayweather and McGregor — kingpins of their sports — will face each other over 12 rounds at Las Vegas’s T-Mobile Arena on August 26.

Neither has fought this year. Mayweather, 40, retired from pro boxing in 2015 after defeating Andre Berto, while McGregor (21-3) beat Eddie Alvarez last November.

Mayweather is the strong favorite but Holm, who will face Brazil’s Bethe Correia in Singapore, said fights can be unpredictable. “Anything can happen so that’s why I like to watch from the outside, it’s unknown, you don’t know what’s going to happen.”

Li Jingliang, a leading Chinese MMA prospect who is also on tomorrow’s card, said McGregor had the tools to upset Mayweather.

“It’s a very good opportunity to show an MMA fighter is a well-rounded fighter, they can win in MMA fights, and also in boxing,” Li said. “I’ve been watching him, Conor has a reach advantage and he’s more powerful.”

Joe Carr, head of international and content at the Ultimate Fighting Championship — the organization that made McGregor a star — also tipped the Irishman to cause an upset.

“The difference in combat sport is that one punch can change everything and what you need to do is to land that one punch.

“What we know is that Conor McGregor is a huge hitter and he’s been knocking people out for the last few years,” Carr said.




 

Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.

沪公网安备 31010602000204号

Email this to your friend