One UFC lightweight could play a pivotal role to potentially help Floyd Mayweather training for Conor McGregor. With talks of UFC champion Conor McGregor making the move to boxing in 2017 looking more and more likely, talks of a potential Mayweather-McGregor boxing match have begun to dominate headlines. To start the new year, Mayweather offered McGregor $15 million for a boxing match. The offer was quickly countered by UFC President Dana White, who offered Mayweahter $25 million to box McGregor. Mayweather fired back shortly after by calling the UFC President a comedian, reiterating that he wouldn’t fight for less than $100 million.
McGregor remained silent on the matter until an interview this past weekend on pay-per view, where he explained that he was willing to do what it took to make the boxing match happen.
Interestingly enough, Mayweather has already reached out to UFC lightweight Kevin Lee, who trains with Mayweather semi-frequently, to train with him for the potential boxing match.
Lee spoke to MMAJunkie about the Mayweather training situation:
“When this fight was first approached about a year ago or so, they came to me and asked me to be Mayweather’s training partner if they could make the fight happen,” Lee told MMAjunkie Radio. “I don’t think they’re any closer now than they were a year ago, but I’m excited to be his training partner for it.
“They’ll pay me per round, and I’ll get out there and throw his ass around. Just like McGregor, I’ll talk a little (expletive). Hopefully they make the fight, just for myself, but I just don’t see that happening.”
Lee then went on to discuss the technical aspect of the fight:
“I will say this: (McGregor) will not get knocked out,” Lee said. “He’s a bigger man. He’s a southpaw, and Floyd hates fighting southpaws. Floyd’s worst fights have always come vs. southpaws. But Mayweather’s just going to touch – the speed, it’s the speed.
“Every time I spar with one of those boxers (at Mayweather’s gym), a very high-level boxer, the first thing I do is throw them to the ground. (What are they) going to do – maybe deduct you a point? OK, you’re going to lose the round anyway. You don’t give a (expletive) about losing the round. If he goes into the fight, he can’t expect to win a decision vs. Mayweather. It’s not going to happen.
“So I do feel like it would be exciting if they did it. He’s going to come out there, he should throw Mayweather around the first time they clinch, every time they clinch. Sweep him out, toss his feet in the air, and try to make him land on his head”
This article first appeared on BJPenn.com on 2/2/2017.