Boxer who sparred with McGregor gives MMA star 'no chance' of beating Mayweather

Chris van Heerden can gauge Conor McGregor's boxing savvy better than most, and he's not particularly impressed with what he's seen.

The world-ranked boxer recently released video of he and "The Notorious" sparring back in August 2016, and as he told ESPN on Friday, he made the footage public to dispel the notion the Irishman will give Floyd Mayweather - a four-division world champion - all he can handle in a much-hyped crossover fight later this summer.

"Because people are tweeting and talking and telling me that Mayweather has his hands full landing on Conor McGregor," van Heerden said, according to MMA Fighting. "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."

Van Heerden got some rounds in with McGregor in the UFC champ's preparation for an August rematch with Nate Diaz, and while he won't say a victory for "The Notorious" is impossible, the career pugilist wouldn't budge any further in his belief that Mayweather is anything but a lock.

"It would be ridiculous for me to say he has no opportunity, he has no chance," Van Heerden said. "Yes, he has a slight chance of pulling it off. He's a fighter, he's a mixed martial artist. He can land one big punch. It can happen. This is fighting, it's two men in the ring. The opportunity is there. He doesn't have a zero chance of beating or causing the biggest upset in the sport. Yes, he has. In my opinion and I'm gonna stick by it and I'm not afraid to say it, there's no way he's beating Mayweather.

"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."

The 29-year-old van Heerden wasn't above trying to capitalize on all the hullabaloo surrounding the blockbuster bout, however, capping his appearance with a call to fight 39-fight veteran Lamont Peterson on its undercard - which will be booked by Mayweather Promotions and comprised solely of boxing matches.

McGregor meets Mayweather in a 12-round boxing tilt at 154 pounds on Aug. 26 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.