UFC president Dana White appeared as a guest on Jimmy Kimmel Live where he spoke optimistically about the upcoming cross-sport fight between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Conor McGregor on Thursday night, July 21. White is naturally one of McGregor's biggest defenders, who like many, believe his Irish MMA titlist has a puncher's chance. While the general consensus is that Floyd will collect his 50th victory on August 26, White in fact, gives McGregor more of a shot than most do. That's because Mayweather won't be fighting a guy who comes in with the same approach the other 49 have, he says.
"When they call boxing 'The Sweet Science,' right, first thing you learn is how to throw the jab. From the jab - jab/right hand. And then a hook, uppercuts, body. And normally when boxers fight boxers there's a system to it. You realize if the guy's throwing a jab the right hand is probably coming next," said White. "Conor McGregor will be completely unorthodox in his fight with Floyd Mayweather. And it's what makes the fight so intriguing."
White also factors in Conor's confidence, which he thinks will give him the mental edge. He compared McGregor's taunting during their recent promotional tour to the kind of "mental warfare" Ali would use to get into guys' heads. Only, White did say that he had a talk with his champ about taking it a tad bit too far after seeing McGregor slap Mayweather's cap. That's the kind of stuff a fighter wants to be careful not to do, he says, because it'll motivate his opponent to want to return the favor and embarrass him when it counts.
As the Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Conor McGregor fight nears, has McGregor begun to convince you that he will give Mayweather a run for his money? Let us know what you think in the comments.
