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18th June 2017
05:04pm BST

“I have nothing but respect for McGregor. There’s no bad blood. I think [he’s] phenomenal. And being a southpaw, it’s gonna work in his favor. He’s got the power to do it. I wasn’t fazed by his power, I wasn’t hurt. But again, we didn’t have 10-ounce gloves on and he’s got some small chance of causing an upset.”https://twitter.com/SportsJOEdotie/status/875401077004406785 When asked why he decided to share the footage just after the massive fight announcement, the South African pugilist made a head-scratcher of a claim.
“Because people are tweeting and talking and telling me that Mayweather has his hands full landing on Conor McGregor. I’m a professional fighter — boxer. And I’m standing up for the sport. I was just making it very clear that, don’t be ridiculous. If I could land, don’t tell me Floyd Mayweather is not gonna land.”What? Who in their right mind was suggesting that Floyd Mayweather would struggle landing on Conor McGregor? 'The Notorious' isn't exactly known for being an elusive defensive genius. Nate Diaz landed 252 strikes over five rounds in their welterweight do-over at UFC 202. Either way, van Heerden believes McGregor has a very slim chance of causing an upset. Although he wasn't fazed by the Irishman's power, they were wearing heavier gloves at the time.
"McGregor is a phenomenal athlete. He’s ruling the UFC. Absolutely, I believe he did put in training and he’s still putting in training and yes, he got better. Definitely better. I’m not saying he’s bad. I’m just laying it out as it is."High praise indeed...
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