Freddie Roach teases McGregor-GSP fight
Boxing coach Freddie Roach says that he has been training St-Pierre for his upcoming fight with Michael Bisping at UFC 217 for Bisping’s middleweight title. When Roach is asked if he could help improve McGregor’s boxing skills, the 57-year-old dismisses the idea.
It’s too late [for McGregor]…GSP is going to kick his ass anyway.
While there is potential for a 170 pound fight between the two (McGregor fought Nate Diaz at that weight), the UFC denies that such a fight will take place:
GSP is coming back after 4 years off. Conor is looking to defend his title. There is zero talk about GSP vs. Conor.
Kavanagh: McGregor won’t train with Freddie Roach
Kavanagh says McGregor will not be using boxing trainer Freddie Roach for the Mayweather fight.
I will say this: Mayweather has proven himself to be perfect against guys who have trained purely in boxing. I was asked very early on, ‘Are you going to bring in Freddie Roach? He’s the greatest boxing trainer in the world right now.’ OK. I’m an evidence-based guy. I don’t make decision based on emotions. Has Freddie trained somebody to fight Mayweather before? Yes. And a southpaw. A hard-hitting southpaw! And the plan didn’t work…Obviously, Freddie Roach is incredible. I’ve been trying to immerse myself in the boxing world, and Freddie has been called one of the last great guys to understand it all — trainer, cutman, psychologist to the young fighters, technician — but he did come up short in his approach to Mayweather.
Roach hopes St-Pierre fights McGregor in the last fight of his deal
Roach says he hopes St-Pierre’s last fight on his contract will be with McGregor.
Who wouldn’t want that fight? I mean, it’s a big fight. We’d have to maybe cut weight and meet in the middle somewhere, something like that, but there’s a lot of negotiations to still happen of course, but yes. Who wouldn’t want that fight? We’ll see. The thing is [Georges is on] a three fight deal, and we have to win and that’s what we plan on doing.
Roach: McGregor ‘is not that good of a fighter’
Roach says that McGregor cannot beat Mayweather.
I’d love to see it. He’s fun to watch. He’s a character. [But] he’s not that good of a fighter. He’ll let his hands go and so forth. He’s a little wild. He’s putting himself on a very high level. I think he’s more of a four-round fighter at this point. For [McGregor] to get ready and fight Mayweather it’s a different style. [Mayweather is] probably one of the best boxers in the world today. He’s [Mayweather] not a risk-taker anymore. He’s not the most exciting guy in the world. But, he’s still a great boxer. [McGregor] can’t beat guys like that, in my opinion.
Roach: McGregor-Mayweather fight will never happen
Roach talks about a possible McGregor-Mayweather matchup:
I don’t know how long his contract with UFC is, but they will never let his fighter fight a boxer in a boxing match. I’ve tried that once before, I went to Ari Emanuel…to talk about a fight one time and he said, ‘It will never happen in our lifetime’. If an MMA fighter fights with boxing rules the boxer wins. If you fight with MMA rules, they win. It’s two completely different sports. [McGregor] can punch a little bit, but can he punch as good as Mayweather or Malignaggi? Maybe he can go against a guy that can’t punch that hard…[McGregor] is not an accomplished fighter. Mayweather came to my gym, he said, ‘Freddie, I’m going to fight this guy McGregor’ and he said, ‘If you have a chance to train him, take that job because the fight’s gonna happen and you’ll make a lot of money’. And I said, ‘I would need five years to train him’…Mayweather is one of the best boxers in the world today…I’d love to see [a McGregor-Mayweather fight]. McGregor is fun to watch, he’s a character. I just don’t think he’s in that class of boxing.
‘McGregor punches like a girl’
When asked again about a potential McGregor-Mayweather matchup, Roach says that MMA and boxing do not mix, and criticizes McGregor’s boxing style.
He punches like a girl….that’s why he couldn’t hurt the other guy…well, he did knock him down three times. Diaz is usually a bit tougher than that…[I think the] Irish boy won that fight, but a lot of people tell me he lost.
Roach: Mayweather says fight is going to happen
Roach says Mayweather visited his gym, and told him to coach McGregor if the fight is announced.
Mayweather did come out to my [Wild Card] gym last week, and he asked me to take that job if it’s offered. He told me the fight’s gonna happen, and we’re gonna make a lot of money. I told Mayweather that it would take me at least three years to get him ready to fight you. Conor McGregor’s a tough guy, but being a tough guy doesn’t really help you much! He looks like an OK boxer, but he’s almost like a beginner…I do know that Floyd’s been training at one of my gyms, and he’s been sparring with some of my professional fighters, and I hear he’s not doing too well with my professionals.
Roach: I was asked to train McGregor
Roach says he was asked to train McGregor.
They said, ‘will you train him?’ I said ‘Tell him to show up’. I like helping people. But I’m not going to train him to fight Mayweather. I’d have to train him for at least three years to get him ready for [Floyd] Mayweather…He’s a little green, but c’mon. He’s good at MMa, but come on…If you fight boxing rules the boxer will win, if you fight MMA rules the MMA guy will win…If he comes I’ll help him for sure.
