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Home » Exclusive: ‘He’s definitely got skills’ – Nevada Chief Bob Bennett on watching Conor McGregor boxing

Exclusive: ‘He’s definitely got skills’ – Nevada Chief Bob Bennett on watching Conor McGregor boxing

McGregor is hoping to land a money-spinning cross-codes bout with Mayweather after making the move from UFC and Bennett has all the background information needed to grant the Irishman a boxing license.

Upon watching McGregor showcase his armory using the Queensberry Rules, Bennett is confident fans will witness a spectacle between the two biggest names in their respective codes.

“Conor hits like a ton of bricks and has an iron-clad jaw. He’s got that will to win, actually both of these fighters have that can-do attitude. The confidence they both have is probably second to none,” Bennett exclusively told World Boxing News.

Asked how McGregor and Mayweather match up amidst calls of a mismatch from some quarters of the boxing fraternity, Bennett replied: “Well, Conor is a little bit bigger he’s 5’ 9 and Floyd is 5’ 8. Conor’s got a 74-inch reach and Floyd’s got a 72-inch reach.

“Since Conor’s been with the UFC, I think his record is around 21-3 with 17 of those wins coming from TKO’s from strikes. You know, and he’s also a southpaw. He took up kickboxing at the age of 12 and as a youth, he was the All-Ireland Boxing Champion.

“I think it’s great for both combat sports, MMA and boxing as they are both great fighters. As I said, it’s definitely an approvable fight. Floyd’s 40 and Conor is 28, I believe so there’s a lot of interesting factors that you have to take into consideration.

“I saw Conor boxing three months ago and he’s definitely got skills. I’m not sure, but I’d assume Conor is working hard now on his boxing as it will help him if this fight comes to fruition as well as in the Octagon.”

A date in September is still rumored to be the goal both parties have in mind to finally trade blows after UFC boss Dana White recently gave the green light for the fight to happen.

It’s now down to Mayweather and McGregor to agree White’s cut before wading through all the red tape necessary to take the fight to Las Vegas and begin what should be a massive build-up.

Phil Jay is Editor of World Boxing News. Follow on Twitter @PhilDJay