Monday 7 August 2017 10:27, UK
Conor McGregor's coach John Kavanagh says the UFC star's fighting skills have "transcended over" in training and he expects him to be well prepared for his first boxing bout.
The UFC lightweight champion will face undefeated former five-weight world champion Floyd Mayweather in Las Vegas on August 26 under normal boxing rules, despite having never boxed as an amateur or professional.
McGregor, 28, has been roundly written off by experts who say he has no chance against Mayweather, but Kavanagh feels his man is already shaping up well and says the Irishman's wealth of experience in the octagon has already counted for a great deal in training.
"He will be very well prepared. We have gone through one training cycle and we had in some good sparring partners, and, as we expected, his skills transcended over," Kavanagh said.
"He is not trying to win Wimbledon. It's not that different. His understanding of range, his understanding of how to move around is excellent. It's not completely different.
"There are some differences in this fight; he doesn't have to worry about someone shooting [kicking] on him. It's been a great experience. The first half has gone very well and I am heading out to Vegas for the second half on Monday, and I am expecting him to peak at the right time."
Boxing greats Mike Tyson, Freddie Roach and Amir Khan are among the big names who have already declared the contest a mismatch but Kavanagh laughed off Mayweather's claims he would win even if he was taking on McGregor at his own mixed martial arts game.
"Stop lying," he said. "We all know what would happen if it went into the octagon."
Kavanagh was speaking at a news conference in Glasgow, where another of his UFC fighters, Gunnar Nelson, is set to face Santiago Ponzinibbio this Sunday and he will jet out to the United States on Monday to re-join McGregor's camp.
In the meantime, he has been enjoying the four-date press tour that has seen the pair trade insults in Los Angeles and Toronto, and while Mayweather was adjudged to have come out on top of the trash talk in the opening showdown, McGregor certainly blasted back the following evening.
They meet again on Thursday night in New York but McGregor's coach was honest enough to admit he does not think Mayweather will be spooked by the Irishman's taunts.
"If I am being 100 per cent honest I would say no," he said when asked if McGregor was getting into his opponent's head.
"Floyd is 40 years of age, he's been around the fight game, I think the two of them are having a lot of fun with it. It is going to get better."
