Coach: Nate Diaz Fight Puts Conor McGregor Vs. Floyd Mayweather On Hold
Many believed that the announcement of the Nate Diaz rematch with Conor McGregor at UFC 202 meant that the Floyd Mayweather fight will not happen. Speaking with MMA Underground the current UFC Featherweight champion’s head coach, John Kavanagh, believes the fight is likely to happen:
“It puts it on hold. I think that contest will happen eventually but it’s on hold for now. I’d be very surprised if it doesn’t at some stage. I think it’s a bigger fight; I think there’s a lot of intrigue about it. I could be 100 percent wrong. Right now we’re focusing on August 20th. We have an important rematch – a mixed martial arts fight – but if in time that fight was to be announced it would not surprise me and I think it would be an interesting one.”
The clash between Conor McGregor vs. Floyd Mayweather is a rumor that will not die, since both parties have expressed great interest in making the fight happen. The fight is likely to be one of the biggest draws for both MMA and boxing due to its commercial appeal.
The general consensus is that Floyd Mayweather wins in a boxing match and Conor defeats “Money” Mayweather in an MMA contest.
This potential fight also gives Frankie Edgar’s belief that Conor McGregor will not return to the featherweight division merit. The Notorious himself has admitted the weight cut is grueling, and many of his training partners have expressed that they would prefer if he didn’t make that weight cut.
Frankie Edgar: 'Smart' Conor McGregor won't fight at featherweight because he has everything to lose https://t.co/Fc0Zt8d5a2 via @mmamania
— Emil (@Emil299) June 15, 2016
McGregor’s future is most likely in the lightweight division, whether he loses or wins against Nate Diaz in the welterweight contest.
With UFC 202 happening in August, it is likely that Conor McGregor can fight one more time this year. The most likely matchup is defending his belt or vacating it for a Conor McGregor vs. Floyd Mayweather boxing match around the end of this year.
While John Kavanagh jokes about McGregor utilizing kicks and elbows in the matchup, he believes Conor’s unorthodox style could give Mayweather problems.
“I think if you’re a classically trained boxer you’re [going to] lose to Floyd because he just seems to make everybody look quite ordinary,” Kavanagh expressed. “But maybe somebody who doesn’t strike like a boxer might be a new look for him. Maybe the odd sly knee and leg kick as well.”
Conor’s head coach talks about Floyd Mayweather’s old school boxing training and how the traditional style of boxing won’t work against his masterful defensive style of boxing.
“I think the way we strike in mixed martial arts and some of the movements we use and some of the approaches we use, he won’t have the software ready ignition system to that way of moving and way of standing. It would be different to him. So that and a couple of sly elbows as well.”
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Dana White has not ruled out making the fight happen. However, he has stated in many interviews that Floyd Mayweather must call him to negotiate the terms of a Conor McGregor vs. Floyd Mayweather event.
John Kavanagh is releasing a book titled Win Or Learn on June 24th about his experience in MMA and training Conor McGregor. Kavanagh is one of the most respected coaches in Europe and had a reputation for his talent before The Notorious’ rise in the UFC.
The title of the book hints at Conor’s first defeat in the UFC against Nate Diaz. The book will detail the inside story about how the biggest draw in MMA felt after the loss and how he will build from it.
Are you looking forward to the Nate Diaz fight? Will you watch a Conor McGregor vs Floyd Mayweather fight or is it just a spectacle?
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