MANY take a dim of view Conor McGregorโs presumptuous task, leaving behind mixed martial arts to take on boxingโs finest Floyd Mayweather this Saturday (August 26).
But the MMA world appears to take a different line on the cross-code clash, as former UFC fighter Dan Hardy told MMA Junkie.
โYouโve got to think that, up until the emergence of mixed martial arts, boxers were fighters,โ Hardy said. โIf you were a boxer, you were considered a fighter, but now youโre not. If youโre a boxer, youโre a boxer, but if youโre an MMA practitioner, you are a fighter.
โThatโs a strong difference there, because a lot of people get into boxing for the tough guy aspect, which is kind of diminished now when thereโs someone who can kick you in the leg, take you down and strangle you.โ
Reflecting on McGregorโs mindset, Hardy continued, โI think he feels like heโs against boxing, because all the criticism and disrespect thatโs coming toward Conor in the buildup to this fight is coming from respected people in the boxing community and people who work for Showtime.โ
โI think there is some relief on the boxing side because Conor did decide to call out the biggest name in their sport,โ Hardy added. โAs much as the boxing community may hate Floyd Mayweather, and Iโm sure hates him even more for putting boxing in this position, theyโll be relieved that heโs still the best boxer on the planet and their representative.
โIf Conor happens to put him down, heโll have done what 49 boxers have not been able to do, and thatโs a massive hit to boxing in general โ especially given the fact that Mayweather is the greatest defensive boxer weโve ever seen.โ