Conor McGregor has earned extremely high praise from Teddy Atlas.
Mike Tyson’s former boxing coach pays close attention to all things UFC, especially when it involves the first dual-weight champion in company history.
‘Notorious’ hasn’t fought since breaking his leg during a trilogy bout with Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in July 2021 – but he’s expected to make a return to the Octagon at some point this year.
However, Conor McGregor has recently been linked to boxing bouts with Logan Paul and Jake Paul, which Atlas believes could signal the end of the Irishman’s career as a legitimate world-class fighter.
Conor McGregor earns Muhammad Ali comparison
The revered boxing trainer and commentator used McGregor’s potential $500million scrap with an influencer as a chance to point out all the good he’s done for MMA through the years.
Atlas compared him to Muhammad Ali, who is widely regarded as the greatest boxer of all time after helping elevate the sport during his 61-fight career.
The 68-year-old believes McGregor has done something similar for MMA since joining the UFC in 2013.
Atlas said on his podcast: “He brought the sport to a different level of paydays, much like Ali did in boxing. Crossing over with sports, Ali did that with [Antonio] Inoki, if my memory serves me correctly.
“Ali was in hospital for like a week with bloody clots in his legs, but he got $7million. $7million back then was unheard of, it was like if you got $100million [today].
“I think Conor is that guy. You know, he’s been a pioneer in his sport. If this marks the end of him being that fighter in that world, with all the controversy and everything else, it shouldn’t be forgotten that he was once a great fighter and will continue to be one of the great promoters.
“I mentioned Ali, I don’t think it was a misstep on my part to put that name there for the reason I did.
“As a pioneer, Ali brought paydays to another level. So did Conor. And Ali was one of the greatest promoters – if not the greatest – in sports of all time, and Conor is up there at that level.”
Conor McGregor given warning ahead of Logan Paul fight
McGregor’s fight against Paul is a mismatch in the eyes of many fans.
‘The Maverick’ boasts a massive size advantage and he’s boxed three times previously, while McGregor lost his lone squared circle bout against Floyd Mayweather in 2017.
Despite that, McGregor is a real fighter and Paul is not, so it’s widely believed that the MMA legend will be able to overcome multiple disadvantages to get the victory.
However, a former UFC star has warned him it may not be that easy. Retired heavyweight contender Brendan Schaub believes that McGregor could get seriously hurt if he doesn’t train properly for his clash with Paul.
“My only concern is if Conor doesn’t take it serious, if he kind of moseys in, he’s partying, I think he’ll get f***ed up,” he said.
“Now, if it’s prime Conor, Logan might be get pieced up.
“At one point, you’ve got to give it to the Paul brothers; one fought Mike Tyson, the other is fighting Conor McGregor. No matter how you feel about it, it’s pretty cool.”
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