Dan Hardy Says Conor McGregor Thinks He’s Facing Boxing As a Whole in Mayweather

Dan Hardy discussed the Conor McGregor vs. Floyd Mayweather fight that takes place this Saturday in a new interview with MMAjunkie. Highlights are below:

On how McGregor sees to see the fight: “One thing that stuck out for me during the press tour is that Conor doesn’t necessarily feel like he’s against Floyd Mayweather in this fight. I think he feels like he’s against boxing, because all the criticism and disrespect that’s coming toward Conor in the buildup to this fight is coming from respected people in the boxing community and people who work for Showtime.”

On boxing’s support of Mayweather: “I think there is some relief on the boxing side because Conor did decide to call out the biggest name in their sport. As much as the boxing community may hate Floyd Mayweather, and I’m sure hates him even more for putting boxing in this position, they’ll be relieved that he’s still the best boxer on the planet and their representative. If Conor happens to put him down, he’ll have done what 49 boxers have not been able to do, and that’s a massive hit to boxing in general – especially given the fact that Mayweather is the greatest defensive boxer we’ve ever seen.”

On boxing’s hostility toward MMA: “You’ve got to think that, up until the emergence of mixed martial arts, boxers were fighters. If you were a boxer, you were considered a fighter, but now you’re not. If you’re a boxer, you’re a boxer, but if you’re an MMA practitioner, you are a fighter. That’s a strong difference there, because a lot of people get into boxing for the tough guy aspect, which is kind of diminished now when there’s someone who can kick you in the leg, take you down and strangle you.”

On how MMA has redifined pro combat sports: “It immediately makes them realize how single-minded they’ve been in their approach. Not that that’s a problem, because if you choose to be a boxing specialist, I have no issue with that. But don’t claim to be a fighter when you’re only using your fists, because you’re lying to yourself and everybody else.”

On Mayweather saying he’d fight McGregor in an MMA bout: “When Floyd’s on the stage saying they can fight in the octagon, with four-ounce gloves, he says it with that tough guy attitude – but everybody in the arena knows he’s full of (expletive). The general fans, even the boxing fans, whether they’re lying to themselves or not, are educated enough to know the reality without it playing out. We don’t need to see Floyd step into the octagon and get James Toney-ed, to know that’s exactly what would happen. It’s a foregone conclusion and not even up for question. The only reason people would tune into that is for the satisfaction of seeing Floyd getting his little head squeezed off.”