Mayweather to 'wipe floor' with McGregor

Former SA pugilist Brian Mitchell predicts Moneyman will flatten Irishman in five rounds

02 August 2017 - 07:25 By Bongani Magasela
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Floyd Mayweather won his only fight against Miguel Cotto this year
Floyd Mayweather won his only fight against Miguel Cotto this year

Predicting the future might not be one of Brian Mitchell's hidden talents but the former WBA and IBF junior lightweight champion says he can safely predict that Floyd "Money" Mayweather will wipe the floor with Conor "The Notorious" McGregor.

Mitchell said mixed-martial-arts exponent McGregor will either commit fouls, get disqualified or will be knocked out inside five rounds when he faces Mayweather in the hotly anticipated bout in Las Vegas on August 26.

"I would say the fight goes five rounds," Mitchell said. "Either McGregor gets disqualified or he is knocked out.

"There is no way McGregor will win this one. It is about when he will be knocked out.

"I would say Mayweather toys with him for four rounds and finally knocks him out in the fifth. Maybe McGregor will take Mayweather's power because he is young but Mayweather's hand speed will eventually be too much."

Mitchell, 55, retired undefeated as the WBA and IBF junior lightweight champion and he is more than qualified to share his pearls of wisdom about the much-hyped fight.

Mitchell defended his WBA belt 12 times outside South Africa. He was denied a chance to win the IBF championship when his fight against Mexican Tony "Tiger" Lopez was controversially declared a draw in Sacramento in March 1991.

He won the rematch a few months later to become champion and remains the only local boxer to be inducted into the hall of fame in Canastota in New York.

Mitchell, who these days provides live boxing commentary for Supersport , said Mayweather would walk away with a win.

The 29-year-old Irishman has 21 wins (18 knockouts) in 24 Ultimate Fighting Championships and will make his boxing debut over 12 rounds against the celebrated American, who is widely considered to be the greatest boxer under strict boxing rules.

Mayweather, 40, is a former five-weight world champion who has won 15 world titles and the lineal championship in four different weight divisions. He is undefeated in 49 bouts with 26 knockouts.

Mayweather will earn a whopping $100-million and McGregor $75-million.

SuperSport will cross to Las Vegas at 3am (CAT) for the action-packed undercard with the main bout expected to start after 5am.

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