Conor McGregor Insider Confirms Mayweather Fight is Very Close

The PR circus surrounding Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather’s prospective fight may in fact lead to a bout closer than most think, according to the Irishman’s striking coach, Owen Roddy.

Following Dana White’s offer to promote the bout, McGregor has been almost conveniently quiet. Prior to this, Mayweather offered a guaranteed $15 million to UFC’s lightweight champion to “get in the ring”. To say that things have escalated would be a perfect understatement.

McGregor’s striking coach [SBG’s] Owen Roddy spoke with MMA journalist Peter Carroll in Ireland today, seemingly indicating that the bout is not as far off as most think (transcription courtesy of NewsTalk):

“I was like everyone else, I thought it could never happen. With the politics between boxing and MMA alone, I just didn’t think it was possible,” said former Cage Contender champion, Roddy.

“One thing I will say for Conor is, no matter how crazy the things he wants to do appear to people, he always seems to be capable of pulling it off. While I didn’t think it could happen for a long time, if he says it’s going to happen there is a huge chance it will.”

“He [McGregor] would mainly bring up Floyd in passing, but over the past month or two it’s started to become more serious. It was just chitchat before but now everything is a lot more direct.

“Saying that, I still have no idea if this fight can ever happen, but it definitely seems to be getting closer and closer to becoming a reality.”

Roddy is of the opinion that a fight with one of boxing’s greatest ever fighters presents McGregor with a golden egg, of sorts:

“It’s an unbelievable opportunity for him to get in and box with the greatest boxer of our generation. Conor has always said that he is the best fighter in the world when it comes to unarmed combat, and that encompasses all aspects of all unarmed combat.

“It’s not just about the opportunity for Conor. He believes he can beat absolute everyone that he faces, including Mayweather.

“Another factor is the amount of money that would be on the line. There is an astronomical amount of money to be made from this fight for both of these guys. It would be crazy.

“I think that’s the main thing for both of them. They’re both very good businessmen and I think they know the amount of money they both would make would make the fight too much of a lucrative option for them not to explore.”

“I think it would be the biggest combat event ever. It would break every record that has stood in combat sports. Just imagine it. Not only would it bring in the boxing crowd, it would bring in the MMA crowd too. As well as that, there would be so much casual interest in the fight, probably more than we have ever seen before.

The mooted fight featuring the superstar Conor McGregor is as ridiculed as it is desired, but Roddy wants to see it come to fruition:

“For just the spectacle of it alone I would love to see it happen. It’s still hard for me to think about it actually happening, but as I said, once Conor puts his mind to something I can never doubt him.

“Honestly he has said so many things in the past that have me thinking, ‘he can’t do that’, and then he just keeps knocking down these barriers. It’s amazing to see.”

Surely an MMA fighter cannot cross over to the sweet science against a man who has never been beaten. Roddy is of the assumption that the UFC’s biggest asset has a chance:

“We all know what happens when Conor McGregor lands that left hand. It doesn’t matter who it is, if that hand lands on your chin you’re going to sleep.

“It’s kind of like a trade off between their two skill sets. We know that Conor can knock anyone stiff, but will he be able to land a solid connection on Mayweather, a guy who is probably the greatest defensive fighter of all time?

“Everybody has found that very difficult, but Conor poses a very different threat. Any time Mayweather has taken a serious shot, it’s always been against a southpaw.

“Conor is obviously a southpaw and he will be coming in and attempting to hit Mayweather from angles he probably hasn’t seen before because they come from different disciplines. Conor will be a lot bigger too.

“This is going to be a tricky fight for Mayweather because it won’t be like anything he has seen before in a traditional boxing match. Conor moves in such a unique way, it would be nearly impossible for Mayweather to get someone to replicate his style, especially because none of us have ever seen Conor contest a professional boxing match before.”

Conor McGregor’s striking coach feels that a bout with “TBE” could transcend the sport of MMA, and benefit the UFC in the long run:

“I think it would be great for MMA because for years we’ve heard boxers talking about MMA fighters not being able to box for sh*t. The thing is, they’re probably right, a lot of them can’t! That being said, a lot of them can too and without a doubt, Conor can.

“If he went in and beat Mayweather, or even put on a great fight with Mayweather, it would definitely give MMA more credibility when it comes to striking.”

Well, opinions are opinions; can you see this fight happening?

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