White: McGregor says he'll knock out Mayweather 'within 4 rounds'
Mystic Mac is back at it again, this time via a proxy.
During a Monday appearance on Fox Sports 1's "Speak For Yourself," UFC president Dana White revealed Conor McGregor's prediction for his upcoming superfight with Floyd Mayweather, and the Irishman isn't expecting the bout to get anywhere close to going the distance.
"I stopped doubting Conor McGregor a long time ago," White said, according to MMAFighting.com's Jed Meshew.
"Last night I landed at LAX and Conor landed at the same time from Ireland. We both landed at the same time and I was waiting for him to get out of the plane. He gets off a flight from Ireland, looks like he was just fitted at Armani, walks off the plan and says, 'I will knock this man out within four rounds.'"
More often than not, McGregor not only talks the talk but walks the walk. However, knocking out Mayweather - one of the greatest defensive boxers of all time - within four rounds is easily the UFC lightweight champion's boldest prediction ever.
Despite McGregor's lofty goal, White knows better than to bet against his biggest star.
"Mayweather is very poised and controlled. Mayweather's a really smart guy. As I got into the deal - he's surrounded by a lot of smart people too, which made it much easier to get the deal done than I thought it would," said White. "I deal with a lot of people that think they're smart and they're not and it makes it a lot harder.
"I always respected Floyd. Floyd and I have had our moments in the public here and there but I've always respected Floyd and Al Haymon is a very smart guy. Very smart guy. It was actually a pleasure doing business with him.
"But Conor is a madman. Conor is a madman. He's gonna let Floyd know what he's gonna do and how he's gonna do it and everybody's been saying to me this whole time, 'Do you think that Conor can really beat Floyd Mayweather?’ Pacquiao just got beat by a school teacher, okay."
While Mayweather has a vast advantage in experience, White believes McGregor's passionate fan base could give him an edge.
"The Irish thing is so big. Me and my partner Lorenzo, when we first met Conor McGregor and we felt it with him," said White. "We felt that energy and that buzz within the Irish community. . . It's the Irish thing. The Irish thing is big. Yes, you have an African American who is arguably the greatest of all time against an off the charts charismatic, incredibly hard-punching Irish fighter. It's huge."