Joe Rogan: Conor McGregor would be a 100 million to 1 favorite over Floyd Mayweather in a real fight
Conor McGregor will go up against massive odds if he steps into the ring with Floyd Mayweather for a boxing match later this year, but that doesn't mean he should be counted out.
McGregor has surprised more than a few naysayers during his stint with the UFC but he'd certainly be fighting an uphill battle against Mayweather, who is regarded as one of the greatest boxers of this generation.
Still, UFC color commentator Joe Rogan knows that McGregor has ways to win the fight if it happens, especially considering the kind of jaw-dropping power the Irishman possesses.
"That's what Conor McGregor is. He's a freak athlete. There's a guy named Firas Zahabi, who's one of the best trainers in MMA, Georges St-Pierre's trainer — he calls it the touch of death," Rogan described on his latest podcast. "That's the best way to describe it.
"He just zaps people. It's extraordinary for sure."
Now Rogan isn't crazy enough to think that McGregor would be favored to win by any stretch of the imagination.
Like most analysts and experts in boxing and mixed martial arts, Rogan believes Mayweather will likely win the fight, but that doesn't mean he can underestimate McGregor's ability to sting him with his long range, power and huge size advantage.
"Mayweather is a much better boxer. There's just no doubt about it," Rogan said. "He's one of the greatest boxers, if not the greatest boxer that's ever lived. Even though he's smaller, you're talking about a completely different level of skill. A complete different understanding of the subtle nuances of boxing, but that said, Conor McGregor is not incompetent. He's very dangerous.
"Floyd Mayweather is a much better boxer, but Conor McGregor is dangerous as [expletive] and he has a really deceptive ability to move in and move out. He can cover distance very quickly. He can do so in a weird way. He can do so in a way where he might stun you. He might stun you and he might catch you early and he hits really [expletive] hard. If Floyd can figure him out and start using his jab and using his movement. Floyd has traditionally had problems with southpaws, but he's never lost to one."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4OjTuxC4K9c
The advantages for McGregor come with the size advantage he'll have over Mayweather and if he can negotiate for the use of eight-ounce gloves it will undoubtedly allow the Irishman to show off more of his power shots.
"Conor's got extraordinary power, he's got extraordinary movement and he's bigger," Rogan said. "He's a far bigger guy. I mean he's a big framed guy and he's strong and he's young. Floyd Mayweather is 40 years old, he's arguably the greatest boxer of all time. I mean he's a phenomenal craftsman. The way he understands the art of hitting and not being hit is extraordinary."
The debate about the proposed boxing match will undoubtedly continue until McGregor and Mayweather finally step into the ring together, but the conversation would be much shorter if this was an actual fight.
Mayweather will certainly be a huge favorite over McGregor in boxing, but Rogan teases that if this was a real mixed martial arts competition the odds would be astronomically in favor of the current UFC lightweight champion.
"In a boxing match if you have $100 and you have to bet on someone the odds are most certainly going to favor Floyd Mayweather because it's a boxing match. If it's a fight, it would be 100 million to one that Conor McGregor would [expletive] him up," Rogan said.
"I mean I'm not exaggerating. Of course, I'm exaggerating. No one would give you those kinds of odds but it would definitely be something ridiculous if it was a fight. If it was a fight, a MMA fight, it would be 100 million to one."
