Conor McGregor toys with Paulie Malinaggi in sparring?

[powerpuncher]

Somebody said it in another thread but it's worth mentioning again. There are boxers who have had a ton of amateur success and have been boxing for years before turning pro. Even they still start off with fighting lesser opposition at the beginning of their careers. There are very few fighters who can make the jump from amateur to professional and become a top guy within 10 fights. And not one of them fights a top guy their first fight.

So does anybody actually think Conor has any sort of chance whatsoever? Sure, he has sparred to train for MMA so he isn't completely incompetent, but he is nowhere near the boxer as an Olympian. And even many of these olympians end up totally failing during their careers.

Even if Conor is super talented at boxing and is a natural, he would still have to at least have a few fights under his belt to get used to the fight game and all of its intricacies. I don't care how naturally talented you are, you aren't beating Floyd in your first professional fight.

[Batman]

Somebody said it in another thread but it's worth mentioning again. There are boxers who have had a ton of amateur success and have been boxing for years before turning pro. Even they still start off with fighting lesser opposition at the beginning of their careers. There are very few fighters who can make the jump from amateur to professional and become a top guy within 10 fights. And not one of them fights a top guy their first fight.

So does anybody actually think Conor has any sort of chance whatsoever? Sure, he has sparred to train for MMA so he isn't completely incompetent, but he is nowhere near the boxer as an Olympian. And even many of these olympians end up totally failing during their careers.

Even if Conor is super talented at boxing and is a natural, he would still have to at least have a few fights under his belt to get used to the fight game and all of its intricacies. I don't care how naturally talented you are, you aren't beating Floyd in your first professional fight.

I think its interesting that people think Conor is going to have success with something completely unorthodox that will shock Floyd, I am sure that all successful styles, methods and tactics would have been tried and tested in the few years that boxing has existed, the reason that the 'orthodox' styles, methods and tactics are used is because they work, the unorthodox...I'm guessing not so much.

[TitoFan]

The more I think about it the more I feel the possibility of Conor getting himself DQ'ed becomes more real.

Think about it. It's a way out. It's not a humiliating KO loss... and I don't think Conor is going to have the boxing discipline to put up with getting peppered for 12 rounds. He tries to discombobulate Floyd with whatever cockamamie scheme he's got up his sleeve, and..... when that doesn't work... either out of sheer frustration or a calculated move, he'll begin doing things that are ok by MMA standards, but not boxing. He puts up the good fight... gets himself DQ'ed... each claims a victory of sorts... the public gets fleeced... and life goes on.

[Hulk]

The more I think about it the more I feel the possibility of Conor getting himself DQ'ed becomes more real.Think about it. It's a way out. It's not a humiliating KO loss... and I don't think Conor is going to have the boxing discipline to put up with getting peppered for 12 rounds. He tries to discombobulate Floyd with whatever cockamamie scheme he's got up his sleeve, and..... when that doesn't work... either out of sheer frustration or a calculated move, he'll begin doing things that are ok by MMA standards, but not boxing. He puts up the good fight... gets himself DQ'ed... each claims a victory of sorts... the public gets fleeced... and life goes on.

Many have suggested this, but evidently it's in the contract that he cannot do anything to get himself DQd or Mayweather will sue the pants off him and take damn near all of his money. As it is, I've read that the UFC will be taking 40% of Conor's proposed $100 million.

[TitoFan]

Smartest thing Floyd could've insisted on, obviously. But you gotta wonder how Conor will respond in the heat of the battle, especially if he's getting jabbed and boxed mercilessly, and he can't touch Floyd. Another thing is whether Conor will try shady tactics like faking a kick to get a rise out of Floyd in an attempt to throw him off. There's sure to be a lot of roughhousing, where Conor is sure to try and press his advantage, maybe even making it into a dirty fight. Think Shawn Porter on steroids, minus the boxing skills.

[Alpha]

How's Mac's chin? Can he take clean shots from Floyd? If so he should just swing for the fences from the get go. Like Tito said make it ugly like Porter does but to the extreme. Is the ref going to DQ a guy when folks have paid through the teeth to watch this? I think McGregor will be given a lot of wiggle room here.

[Spicoli]

How's Mac's chin? Can he take clean shots from Floyd? If so he should just swing for the fences from the get go. Like Tito said make it ugly like Porter does but to the extreme. Is the ref going to DQ a guy when folks have paid through the teeth to watch this? I think McGregor will be given a lot of wiggle room here.

They are really going in with a loaded deck, has there ever been a guy given the mega start stage minus an ounce of boxing legitimacy? Need a no nonsense ref and not some Mercante Jr or Reiss type just looking for the cameras. I talked to a big mma fan who argued..per norm..that Mayweather "cannot hurt people" and Conner would not be stopped but maybe lose over 12 rounds . Guys don't have to be flat on the back to be ktfo. They can just get tired of being spun in circles and punched cleanly repeatedly. Do think Mayweather was off comparing Conner to a Maidana. Chino was improved and knew about proper cut off and delivery.

[Alpha]

Although Floyd is not a big puncher I could see him catching a frustrated McGregor rushing in with hands down and chin up. I wouldn't be surprised with a body shot no for Floyd either.

Floyd has only been wobbled a handful of times in his career and I just can't see McGregor with a limited technique landing a shot to end it.

[Fenster]

People keep assuming Mc is gonna be a face first pressure fighter, but that's not his game. Why would a super highly skilled MMA fighter turn into a thick brawler knowing that's exactly what Floyd wants? The boooos are gonna be deafening.

And Floyd is probably the "dirtiest" fighter Mc will have faced - elbow, forearm, holding, low blows, feigning injury. From the little MMA i've seen those bods are far more disciplined than boxers (generally) when it comes to breaking rules.

[Fenster]

The amount of fantasy narrative a stupid picture has generated it would've been better had Paulie been lying on the floor pretending to be sparked out. All the boxing wallies would have been making up excuses - he's old, out of shape, it was a lucky punch, Ali was knocked out sparrring, blah, blah, blah.

[Alpha]

People keep assuming Mc is gonna be a face first pressure fighter, but that's not his game. Why would a super highly skilled MMA fighter turn into a thick brawler knowing that's exactly what Floyd wants? The boooos are gonna be deafening.

And Floyd is probably the "dirtiest" fighter Mc will have faced - elbow, forearm, holding, low blows, feigning injury. From the little MMA i've seen those bods are far more disciplined than boxers (generally) when it comes to breaking rules.

What other chance does he have? He won't out box Floyd or get him coming forward. Floyd is going to fight his fight. Mac is going to get frustrated sooner or later at swinging and missing, then getting countered. What would you advise him to do that 49 other boxers haven't already tried? Physical pressure fights like Castillo and Maidana are the closest I've seen to Floyd losing. DLH had success with the jab but I doubt Mac can emulate that and Judah boxed we'll from the southpaw stance early but is way more skilled than McGregor could ever hope to be. A pressure, grinding approach using his size and power has to be the logical game plan doesn't it?

[Spicoli]

The amount of fantasy narrative a stupid picture has generated it would've been better had Paulie been lying on the floor pretending to be sparked out. All the boxing wallies would have been making up excuses - he's old, out of shape, it was a lucky punch, Ali was knocked out sparrring, blah, blah, blah.

It was all kind of satire going in to be fair. I'm just glad Paulie took it easy on him so he can boast during the Showtime build up

[Fenster]

People keep assuming Mc is gonna be a face first pressure fighter, but that's not his game. Why would a super highly skilled MMA fighter turn into a thick brawler knowing that's exactly what Floyd wants? The boooos are gonna be deafening.

And Floyd is probably the "dirtiest" fighter Mc will have faced - elbow, forearm, holding, low blows, feigning injury. From the little MMA i've seen those bods are far more disciplined than boxers (generally) when it comes to breaking rules.

What other chance does he have? He won't out box Floyd or get him coming forward. Floyd is going to fight his fight. Mac is going to get frustrated sooner or later at swinging and missing, then getting countered. What would you advise him to do that 49 other boxers haven't already tried? Physical pressure fights like Castillo and Maidana are the closest I've seen to Floyd losing. DLH had success with the jab but I doubt Mac can emulate that and Judah boxed we'll from the southpaw stance early but is way more skilled than McGregor could ever hope to be. A pressure, grinding approach using his size and power has to be the logical game plan doesn't it?

Logical game plan? Yeah. But it would be totally alien to the way he fights, so no different than asking Floyd to force the fight if nothing is happening.

Mc wins a moral victory if he goes the distance. The "best boxer in the world" - TBE - can't stop a UFC champion having his boxing debut, yet EVERYONE on earth knows Floyd wouldn't last three minutes in Mc's world.

He'll probably get frustrated and do what you say but I'd expect a few rounds of posing before anything happens.

[Alpha]

Boxing is foreign to the way McGregor fights so anything he does in that ring is going to be alien I guess.

Who has Floyd legitimately knocked out the size of McGregor? Back in '05 and 140 pounds was the last time Floyd was stopping people.

Unless McGregor is exhausted late in the fight (a very real possibility) I see it going the distance. Floyd has fought safety first since moving to welter and I don't see that changing now.

[Fenster]

Exactly, Floyd doesn't give two shits about how boring the fight is, he'll just do what he always does. You won't be surprised by Floyd boxing a 12 round shutout but there's loads and loads of "experts" expecting a massacre let alone the general boxing fan.

Mc can't lose unless he's flattened.

All the boxing fans will say "typical boring Floyd fight," the MMA fans will say "boring runner was terrified to trade with Mc" and the general sports fans will say "that was a boring waste of money, they should have let the Irish dude kick and stuff"