Mike Winkeljohn believes Conor McGregor has a chance to frustrate Floyd Mayweather enough to make a difference in their Aug. 26 bout.
Many are counting “Notorious” out because he isn’t a professional boxer. While his mixed martial arts (MMA) credentials can’t be denied, he is 0-0 in the boxing ring. Meanwhile, Mayweather is considered to be the greatest boxer of this generation, if not, of all time.
Speaking to ESPN, renowned MMA coach Winkeljohn explained how McGregor can potentially turn the tide (via MMAJunkie.com):
“Floyd is going to go into his shell and hold his shoulder high. You can’t do that in MMA and you can’t do that in a street situation, but in boxing it’s a beautiful thing. He has a god-given knack of not getting hit and using his defensive ability so well. Conor’s got the power, though. I think Conor is a big, strong fighter who has speed and is a little slicker. What Conor can bring to the table is maybe some offline angles with his footwork that comes out of MMA and will be something Floyd might not be used to. Attack where Floyd can’t hide behind his shoulder.”
He went on to say that it may be smart to put some money on “Notorious.”
“We’re going to know one way or the other right away. Conor comes with a game plan of attacking Floyd in a way he has never seen before. Once it fails, or I should say “if” it fails, then it will fall into a traditional boxing match, which obviously favors Floyd. I’ll tell you what, though, Conor’s got a smart camp, and they’re going to come up with something. It might be worth putting some money on Conor as the underdog.”
