King Mo Lawal on Mayweather-McGregor: Conor will be seeing things he’s never seen before
Muhammed ‘King Mo’ Lawal analyses the differences between boxing and striking in MMA.
Most of Conor McGregor’s success in the UFC has been mainly rooted to his heavy hands, particularly his left. But now that he is facing Floyd Mayweather, who is inarguably the best boxer of his era, many believe that McGregor’s reputation as a power puncher inside the Octagon will be rendered futile.
Just what exactly will be the troubles he will be facing in a fight that has been set strictly under boxing rules? Bellator light heavyweight fighter Muhammed Lawal breaks down its differences from MMA striking.
“The timing and the range, because in MMA, the range is a little closer,” King Mo said in his recent interview on The Luke Thomas Show. “In boxing, the range is a little wider. It’s not as close, but it can be close. In MMA, it’s closer because the gloves are smaller, and on top of that, we’re trying to clinch and grapple. In boxing, there’s just a little more space depending on the style of the fighter.”
“He’s gonna be seeing things he’s never seen before, with Floyd. Floyd’s seen everything, he spars everybody.”
The main consensus among most observers is simply that McGregor, who has zero experience in professional boxing, will have no answers to Mayweather, who has been involved with the sport his entire life. King Mo went on to specify which of the many weapons Floyd Jr. could be utilizing once they finally step in the ring.
“The main thing that’s gonna hurt Conor that talks about are the body shots,” Lawal explained. Floyd does his jab to the belly button, it’s a jab right above the navel that he does to everybody, and it slows them down, it drains their energy.”
“People don’t realize the body shots. Floyd’s a pretty good body puncher, and they don’t see it because they’re looking for the big punches. Floyd touches you with stuff that you don’t even see coming, and you don’t expect them to hurt, but it hurts you.”
Another big factor that has been overlooked is that the two men will be fighting inside a squared ring, instead of an eight-sided cage. Lawal believes this also gives Mayweather a hefty advantage, in more ways than one.
“Floyd can be setting traps for him that no one knows,” Lawal said. “If you’ve never stepped inside a boxing ring, you won’t see the traps that Floyd’s setting. In a cage, there are no true angles because it’s pretty much a circle. So there’s always three escape routes, there’s not four.”
“In boxing, there’s about two or three, but the thing is, the person that’s setting the traps knows what he’s doing. Like if I clinch in the corner, what I’ll probably do is throw a left hook-right hand-left hook, touch the body, and look to set a counter shot because when you’re on the corner on the ropes, you look to fight off the ropes.”
“Floyd will have to do a half step back, probably gonna throw a check hook, or just land the straight right to the body,” he continued. “[Conor has] no jab, no jab at all, and that’s his problem. And he’s not a volume puncher either.”
Lawal also went on to address what he believes is a common misconception about Mayweather facing southpaw fighters.
“Everyone says Floyd has a problem with southpaws, Dana White said that. But guess what, Floyd’s undefeated versus southpaws. So, I don’t understand the problem that he’s gonna have with southpaws because he’s undefeated versus them.”
Mayweather vs. McGregor is set for August 26th at the T-Mobile Arena is Las Vegas.