By Sean Jones: Floyd Mayweather Jr’s uncle Jeff reacted with surprise at hearing about the praise that Mike Tyson heaped on Conor McGregor for his performance against Floyd in 2017.
Tyson saw what McGregor did in making it to the 10th round as an impressive fete because this was his pro fight in boxing.
A lot of fans didn’t see anything unique about how McGregor performed against Mayweather. They saw a tired McGregor getting carried for ten rounds by Mayweather, and many of them were up at having paid $100 to see it on pay-per-view. It wasn’t a thrilling match and not competitive.
Jeff disagrees with Tyson, saying that Mayweather could have knocked McGregor out in one or two rounds if he wanted to. He didn’t see anything special in the performance by the UFC star McGregor, especially with him gassing out after three rounds.
The referee Robert Byrd had to step in and save McGregor in the 10th round because Mayweather was hitting him at will.
“Look what he [McGregor] had to fight against, and look what he did,” said Tyson. “Imagine someone that had never had a boxing match, and they boxed against me. If he went ten rounds, and I’m doing my thing, that’s a bad mother-f*****,” said Tyson. “He went ten rounds, scored punches against the greatest fighter in the last 100 years.”
Jeff responds to Mike Tyson’s comments on McGregor
“I don’t think Mike Tyson said that s***,” said Jeff Mayweather when told that Mike Tyson had been said that McGregor had ‘Done better than most had done against Floyd and most of us that saw it that had Conor not got tired, he [Mayweather] probably would have lost a decision.’
“Okay, he implied it, but the thing is, did Conor McGregor win? I don’t give a f*** how good he did. Did he win? He [McGregor] gassed out? He got knocked out. So that means he got knocked out then,” said Jeff when told that the referee stopped the fight in the 10th when McGregor got tired.
“We can’t agree on that s***,” said Jeff when told by the interviewer that McGregor would have beaten Mayweather if he didn’t get tired. “I think Floyd could have knocked Conor McGregor out anytime he wanted to.
“Just like they were talking about him [McGregor] fighting Manny Pacquiao. Manny Pacquiao wouldn’t play with his a**. He’d knock him out in one round.
“Any other fighter other than Floyd would knock Conor McGregor out in one or two rounds. I don’t know where they believe that s*** when his a** didn’t win,” said Jeff when told that a lot of boxing fans thought Pacquiao beat Mayweather. “And I don’t think he won one round,” said Jeff.
Tyson didn’t say that McGregor would have won the fight. He was complimentary of the fact that McGregor was able to go ten rounds with a superstar boxer in his first pro fight.
Whether Mayweather carried McGregor or not is unknown. What we do know is Mayweather was 40-years-old at the time, and that he hadn’t fought in two years since 2015. It wasn’t the same Floyd that we’d seen years earlier, and that might explain why McGregor lasted so long.
Mayweather would always be a favorite over McGregor
“I think Floyd would be a favorite until he’s 65 against Conor. Realistically, I’d say 50. I think Floyd would beat Conor at 50 if he wanted to. He doesn’t have to be,” said Jeff when told that McGregor has been active and Mayweather hasn’t. “I think realistically as I said, Floyd would beat Conor McGregor ten years from now and maybe fifteen years from now if he chose to.
“Of course, he does,” said Jeff in responding to being told that McGregor wants a rematch with Mayweather. “Any mother f**** that made $100 million in one fight, of course,” said Jeff.
As long as Mayweather is still in shape at 50, he probably would beat McGregor. By that point, McGregor would be 40, and he doesn’t have a lot of technical skills in terms of his boxing ability.
McGregor is considered a better standup fighter than most UFC fighters, but that’s not saying much. Most of those guys come from a wrestling MMA background, and a lot of that involves submission holds, kicks, and grappling.
Floyd not ducking McGregor
“F*** no. Why would is he ducking him?” said Jeff when asked if Mayweather will be seen a ducking McGregor if he doesn’t fight him in a rematch. “He [Mayweather] already beat his a** already.
“Did he [McGregor] win? That’s the only thing that matters is if he won. I don’t care if it’s a couple of years later. That’s like when people say, ‘Oh, you should fight Canelo now.’ Why? You don’t have to give anybody a rematch.
“He got his a** whooped in both fights on the record,” said Jeff when told that Marcos Maidana beat Mayweather in their first fight. “Floyd’s record is 50-0. It’s got a zero at the end of it.
“One of them had it a draw, but the other judges had it a damn near shutout,” said Jeff on Mayweather’s win over Canelo Alvarez “That means that one judge didn’t know what he [she] was watching,” said Jeff.
Mayweather is clearly not ducking a rematch with McGregor. It’s more likely a case of Mayweather biding his time until the interest from the casual boxing and MMA fans is high enough to make that fight.
McGregor = easy money fight for Floyd
“I’d love it,” said Jeff when asked if he’d like to see Mayweather fight McGregor again or if he’s worried Floyd might get hurt. “That’s easy money. I’d fight Conor.
“Damn right, I’d take that check. I might even play around and let him win. He [Mayweather] doesn’t need to fight him in MMA. Why would he? He doesn’t need to. He doesn’t have to. If he’s the mother f**** that makes the money, then he’s the one that calls the shots,” said Jeff.
It looks like Mayweather will be coming back to fight McGregor or Khabib inside a boxing ring. If that’s the case, we’ll see if it’s “easy mine,” like Jeff says it is.
Jeff probably wouldn’t beat Conor in a boxing match, though. He’s too old, and he doesn’t have the boxing skills that Floyd, Roger and Floyd Sr. had.
