Freddie Roach has gone back and forth with his opinion of whether or not Conor McGregor can pull off a stunning upset against Floyd Mayweather Jr, but apparently Manny Pacquiao’s recent loss to Jeff Horn has helped the trainer make up his mind.
In an interview with Greg Bishop of Sports Illustrated, Roach said he believes McGregor has a chance to beat Mayweather after what he saw Horn do to Pacquiao.
If the MMA star Conor McGregor wanted to beat Mayweather in August, Roach says, he now had a blueprint for how it’s possible: pressure, roughhouse, engage — basically what Horn did to Pacquiao, turning a boxing match into something closer to a brawl. “I wouldn’t count McGregor out anymore,” Roach says. “He can win if he gets the right breaks.”
He’s asked if he felt the same way before Australia. “I don’t think so,” Roach admits.
Of course, Mayweather is arguably the greatest defensive boxer of all time. Just because an experienced boxer was able to fluster Pacquiao doesn’t mean someone like McGregor will be able to do the same to one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in history.
Roach said previously that he does not think McGregor is “much of a fighter” and could probably only survive four rounds. McGregor might agree, as he predicted to UFC president Dana White that he will knock Mayweather out within four rounds.
Very few people are giving McGregor a chance — including one boxer who has sparred with the UFC star before. But if Roach thinks Horn provided the secret to beating Mayweather with the way he fought against Pacquiao, McGregor should probably give that fight more than a quick look.
