Conor McGregor Brags About Improving Boxing Skill Set in Time Off

Conor McGregor hasn’t fought much in a long time. He has had only two MMA fights after 2016, and one boxing match. He first fought Floyd Mayweather for a six-figure payday in one of the biggest professional boxing matches ever. However, Conor found himself on the canvas, losing by TKO in the 10th round. Mayweather left the night 50-0 while Conor left it 0-1.

His return to MMA broke the PPV record at UFC 229 against Khabib Nurmagomedov, and earlier this year he sold over a million PPV buys for a non-tile main event against Donald Cerrone. Cerrone was off three losses and obviously not the best opponent McGregor could have fought. He has been on the sidelines since, but is looking to return soon against Dustin Poirier.

Conor’s flirtation with boxing hasn’t ended, remarking on the fantastic Gervonta Davis knockout by bringing up his 2017 bout against Mayweather, comparing the knockout blow to a similar shot he landed against Floyd. He then proceeded to talk about how much better he has gotten in his time off and is excited to show it.

McGregor returning to either the octagon or the ring would generate tons of hype. While the octagon seems up next, boxing will always be an avenue for Conor to succeed.

Conor McGregor and his improving skill-set

One cannot dispute that Conor McGregor is an elite fighter, despite the narrative building around him. He never defended a title and has fought a limited crop of truly elite fighters. However, he has always been working on his game.

Khabib Nurmagomedov may have not let him show it, but he did show us something new in his 40 seconds against Cerrone. The shoulder strikes were innovative, and his strikes were powerful from the get-go.

In terms of boxing, obviously, Conor will get better over three years of practice. Similarly, the older Floyd Mayweather would have regressed in the three years he has spent as a retired fighter. Trying to fantasy book this fight in 2020 seems more skewed than it did in 2017. However, there is a litany of opponents that Conor could make a boxing comeback against. But maybe he should focus on the Dustin Poirier challenge ahead of him.