MMA superstar Conor McGregor is very interested in trying his hand at boxing once more, against another mega-star, and the Irishman has called out Canelo Alvarez. McGregor, who is in Dublin to support Katie Taylor in tonight’s massive fight with defending undisputed 140 pound champion Chantelle Cameron, spoke with Mirror Fighting yesterday, and the 34 year old said he saw things in Canelo’s recent 12 round battle with John Ryder that convinced him he can beat the Mexican great.
McGregor strongly feels his southpaw stance would serve to give Canelo major problems if he fought him.
“I saw [John] Ryder, I’m a southpaw, Ryder was a southpaw, Billy Joe [Saunders] was a southpaw, I’ve seen methods, I’ve seen things I’d do,” McGregor said. “I know he’s waning, I’d fight Canelo no f*****g problem. Out straight. No problem.”
It is true that a number of experts said after Canelo’s tougher than expected fight with Ryder that Canelo, at age 32, is past his best, that he is showing significant wear and tear. However, Canelo is still one of the very best boxers in the world today, and we all saw what happened when McGregor tried to take down another legend in Floyd Mayweather. Back in the 2017, when McGregor challenged “Money” in a heavily hyped fight, fans showed up in huge numbers, the fight a big hit.
But would fans buy a second McGregor boxing match against one of the elite? And and what weight would a Canelo-McGregor fight take place? Canelo operates at 168, maybe again 175, so he would be just too big for McGregor, surely?
Anything can and often does happen in the sport of boxing, and for sure a Canelo-McGregor fight would make a ton of money. But will Canelo have any interest in facing McGregor? Canelo wants that rematch with Dmitry Bivol, as we all know. And as for Canelo having had problems with southpaws as McGregor suggests, has he really? Saunders was brutally stopped on a nasty eye injury, and Ryder’s ability to go all 12 was more due to his sheer toughness than his boxing stance.
Canelo, even past his best as he may well be, would have too much of everything for McGregor. Agree or disagree?