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12th Aug 2017

Floyd Mayweather confidently predicts part of Conor McGregor’s gameplan

He doesn't think it will be very effective

Ben Kiely

While the world tries to figure out what Conor McGregor has up his sleeve, Floyd Mayweather believes he already knows what’s lurking up there.

How does a man making his professional boxing debut defeat arguably the greatest defensive pugilist to ever grace a ring? Well, it surely must start with a gameplan, and from what we’ve heard, Conor McGregor’s been tinkering with his tactical approach for Floyd Mayweather for a while.

We first heard about this master plan from McGregor’s striking coach Owen Roddy. Then John Kavanagh had a wide smile washed across his face when he spoke of it. Before falling out with the camp, two-time world champion Paulie Malignaggi made everyone aware that the Dubliner was working on some sort of element of surprise for the Money Fight.

However, we’ve heard no specifics about what the plan entails. Although Mayweather believes he knows what McGregor has in store for him.

Mayweather told Fight Hub TV that he ‘already knows’ McGregor is going to come out and switch stances from the get-go. He believes that McGregor will change between orthodox and southpaw, but he doesn’t see that plan working too well for him.

“A fighter is a fighter. It doesn’t matter. With McGregor, he’s going to come out and he’s going to keep switching, he’s going to keep switching. I know what he’s going to do. I already know. Like I said before, I already know what you’re going to do.”

“He’s going to come out southpaw then he’s going to switch the other way and he’s going to keep switching. But, when you keep switching, all you’re doing is burning energy. So, let me give him some knowledge so that he can see as you keep switching, keep switching, you’re burning too much energy.”

The first thing that came to our minds when Mayweather made this prediction was McGregor’s immediate reaction to his loss to Nate Diaz at UFC 196. ‘The Notorious’ walked out to the post-fight press conference, looked the members of the media dead in the eye and told them he was “simply inefficient with (his) energy”.

Will he make the same mistake against arguably the greatest defensive pugilist ever? We’ll have to wait until August 26 to find out.