Conor McGregor vs. Floyd Mayweather Expert Predictions: Pacquiao, Tyson, Others Pick Winner
Most of the betting public is picking Conor McGregor to upset Floyd Mayweather, but fighters and others involved in both boxing and MMA see Saturday’s bout going a different way. The majority of expert predictions are for Mayweather, who is looking to achieve a perfect 50-0 record against the UFC’s biggest star.
Having seen McGregor dominate the sport, a lot of people in the world of MMA think McGregor has a chance. UFC commentators Jon Anik and Joe Rogan aren’t counting out the UFC lightweight champion, and fighters like former 155-champion Eddie Alvarez think McGregor has a real shot to score a knockout.
Few, however, are actually picking McGregor to get the victory.
Not surprisingly, much of the boxing world is expecting Mayweather to cruise to victory. That includes the undefeated fighter’s past opponents, who know just how difficult it is to hit one of the greatest defensive boxers in history.
Let's take a look at some predictions for Mayweather vs. McGregor by some of the biggest names in both boxing and MMA.
Manny Pacquiao: Mayweather
“There is no way he will be able to land a meaningful punch on Floyd,” Pacquiao said on “Sky Sports Box Office.” “How could he? He (McGregor) has no professional experience in boxing.”
Roy Jones Jr: Mayweather
“I can’t really see Conor McGregor dealing with Floyd like that because of that experience factor and the fact that Floyd has proven that he’s actually one of the best pound-for-pound fighters to ever do it,” Jones said on “The MMA Hour.” “ So it’s very difficult to see Conor beating Floyd in a boxing match.”
Mike Tyson: Mayweather
“McGregor is going to get killed boxing,” Tyson said on “Pardon My Take.” “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? Conor put his dumbass 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. Conor can't kick and grab and stuff so he won't stand much of a chance.”
Andre Ward: Mayweather
“I think McGregor will be wild for the first three rounds, but when he starts to tire, Floyd will take over and we could see a big knockout,” Ward told Sky Sports.
Anthony Joshua: Mayweather
“It's probably [going to be] a landslide,” Joshua said on “Sky Sports Box Office.” “Look at the great fighters Mayweather's fought, and he's made them look average. Some of the fighters Mayweather's fought would probably beat Conor McGregor as well. Conor can't really compete. He's coming out of his field and going into Mayweather's domain. Even though he's an excellent fighter in UFC, he's not an excellent boxer. Him crossing over is going to be a real big challenge.”
Tyson Fury: McGregor
“I think Conor McGregor will knock him out in the first 35 seconds like he did to Jose Aldo, to be honest,” Fury told iFL.TV
Ricky Hatton: Mayweather
“I'm a big Conor McGregor fan, and if he ever watches this interview, I hope he doesn't take this to heart, because he's like me. He's a real guy, he's a comedian, he's a character, he's a colorful person, and when you watch his style of fighting I absolutely love the bloke. But it's two different sports, and I couldn't hit [Mayweather], Oscar [De La Hoya] couldn't hit him, Canelo [Alvarez] couldn't hit him, Conor's not going to hit him,” Hatton told TMZ.
Oscar De La Hoya: Mayweather
“I wish it’s a great fight. I obviously don’t think it’s gonna be a great fight,” De La Hoya told IBT. “I think Mayweather’s gonna blow him away because he’s a boxer.”
Max Kellerman: Mayweather
“It’s like, you know, if they were competing in the Octagon, Floyd would have no chance,” Kellerman told “Desus & Mero.” “They’re in a boxing ring. Conor has a zero percent chance. Precisely zero percent. They’re in a boxing ring. Conor McGregor, there’s no universe in which he can win.”
Bob Arum: Mayweather
“It's not a fight for Christ's sake. There's not even a chance McGregor wins,” Arum told TMZ.
Teddy Atlas: Mayweather
“It doesn’t figure to be competitive,” Atlas said on “SportsCenter.” “You’ve got a guy that they’re gonna say he’s got a puncher’s chance, but he’s in there with a defensive genius. And they’re taking advantage of your imaginations. ‘Oh, he’s got a puncher’s chance.’ Guys like Maidana, Pacquiao, Canelo — they were better punches than McGregor and better fighters. They couldn’t hit him. They couldn’t hurt him. So, really a puncher’s chance? Those are words, those are words to sell the fight. But in reality, not really a puncher’s chance.”
![Floyd Mayweather Conor McGregor](https://d.ibtimes.com/en/full/2582201/floyd-mayweather-conor-mcgregor.jpg?w=736&f=6d0e694a159db5afb585aab8834c02cb)
Dana White: McGregor
“I'm on his side on this thing, I want him to win, I expect him to win, I expect him to knock Floyd Mayweather out,” White said during a conference call.
Chael Sonnen: Mayweather
“Are you kidding me? None. Zero,” Sonnen said on “The MMA Hour” when asked if McGregor had a chance to win.
Jon Jones: Mayweather
“Like I said, I’m really happy for McGregor to be in this position, but if I were a betting man, I would imagine that you’d have to side on the side of greatness,” Jones said on “Undisputed.”
Demetrius Johnson: McGregor
“I’m riding with Conor,” Johnson told TMZ. “I think Conor, he can probably get it done sooner if he goes out there being ferocious, but I’m going with Conor. I think Conor’s gonna get the job done.”
Tyron Woodley: Mayweather
“I’ll be honest, me and Conor ain’t really see eye to eye on a lot of things. At the end of the day I still want to scrap him, but I’m betting on Conor,” Woodley explained on his “The Morning Wood Show” podcast, saying he'd bet on McGregor but is picking Mayweather to win. “You know why? I bet a grand, I win 6,500 bucks. I bet 2 grand, 13 grand. It’s freaking combat sports. Anybody got a chance at all times, so I’m willing to lose for the chance to win because that’s crazy that somebody that is that big of a underdog.
“I don’t know. I don’t think he’s going to win, but if he proves me wrong, at least I can cash in on it.”
Jose Aldo: Mayweather
“There is no comparison. It is not similar. Totally different. There is no way McGregor can defeat Mayweather. Mayweather has done this his entire life, and it's a different sport,” Aldo told the Los Angeles Times.
Cris Cyborg: Mayweather
“Mayweather will win this fight, for sure. He’s at another level. But (McGregor) is brave, and he opened doors for MMA (fighters) in boxing and for boxing fans to come to MMA, and vice versa. It will help our sport grow,” Cyborg told reporters in Rio de Janeiro.
© Copyright IBTimes 2024. All rights reserved.