Former UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz and current welterweight titleholder Tyron Woodley were both impressed with the showing put forth by their compatriot Conor McGregor Saturday night.
McGregor took the fight to Floyd Mayweather before wilting in the 10th round. The referee stepped in to stop the contest, as Mayweather improved to 50-0.
“I wanted to see a good fight. This was a great fight,” Woodley said during the post-fight show. “I think Floyd would have liked to see him hit the floor. Conor had no more left. He didn’t know how to properly clinch. He would have gotten knocked out later if the ref hadn’t stopped it. This wasn’t a video game. Conor wasn’t going to get his power back.
“I think Conor was in good condition, but I think he was missing some of his efficiency. He didn’t know how to position his punches. He’s used to being the hammer, but when you’re the nail, things change. It was mental pressure and boxing experience that Conor lacked.”
Cruz didn’t think the fight would reach the 10th round, but “Notorious” showed that MMA fighters can compete with boxers in their sport.
“This went longer than I thought it would. Both of them said it would end earlier,” he said. “This was a statement, as much as you thought he should have gotten him out there earlier, he didn’t, because MMA fighters train in boxing.
“Yes, Conor didn’t have boxing experience. But he has fight experience. We’ve now seen you can transfer the fight experience from MMA to boxing.”
