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By: Sean Crose
People can laugh all they want, but the truth is UFC star Conor McGregor technically IS a professional boxer. He lost a mega fight to an aging Floyd Mayweather back in 2017, after all. His 0-1 boxing record may not qualify the man to be viewed as a boxing expert, but there’s no doubt the fiery Irishman IS qualified to speak as a major fighter. He’s a legend of the UFC, after all. On top of that he’s one of the few people on earth who truly knows what it’s like to engage in a superfight with millions of people watching.
That’s why the guy’s opinion on next month’s Tyson Fury-Oleksandr Usyk rematch should carry at least some amount of weight. McGregor’s battle with Mayweather brought in over four million buys – missing the record earned by Floyd Mayweather’s bout with Manny Pacquiao a few years earlier by a hair. McGregor has also found himself in numerous highly consequential octagon wars with the likes of Nate Diaz, Dustin Poirier, and Khabib Nurmagomadov. Lastly, McGregor knows his way around a rematch. Does this mean boxing fans need to lean in and listen to McGregor’s take on the Fury-Usyk rematch? No – but it couldn’t hurt to.
“You certainly don’t want to be on the receiving end especially from a guy like Oleksandr Usyk,” McGregor recently told Jim White of talkSPORT. “But that (first fight) was a close fight also, and I thought Fury had his moments.” Many, if not most, analysts are arguing that Fury needs to change up his game plan if he wants to win the rematch (he lost a razor sharp decision to Usyk the first time around). McGregor is no exception. “Fury is another guy who can make great adjustments and if you look at his trilogy with Deontay Wilder, he got better as it went on,” McGregor said. “I’m expecting a much more dialed in and more tactical Tyson Fury, and the size difference is substantial.” True enough.
“But Usyk is a very crafty boxer,” McGregor added, “and that is a hell of a fight. UK heavyweight boxing is in a great place.” No lies told. The fact is that the heavyweight division is currently dominated in large part by Brits. Indeed, this era may be one oft the hallmarks of British heavyweight history. Of course Ukraine’s Usyk might well have something to say about that.
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