20-year-old amateur boxing sensation Tiernan Bradley, who is one of four carefully selected sparring partners for Conor McGregor’s training camp against Floyd Mayweather Jr., has nothing but praise for the UFC lightweight champion.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with Peter Carroll of MMA Fighting, the Commonwealth silver medalist complimented McGregor’s natural boxing ability and ‘unbreakable’ will.
“Conor is a very good boxer,” Bradley said. He doesn’t move like any other boxer. He’s powerful, fast and light on his feet… He’s very good at getting in and out and connecting. He’s so quick on his feet it’s very hard to judge the distance with him.
“He’s so fast and unpredictable — that’s a very dangerous combination. I don’t think Mayweather has ever boxed anyone like that.”
He added: “It’s very different to any style I’ve seen over the years. He has this strange style and he can keep going at a serious pace for 12 rounds. He’s on his toes and he’s constantly keeping you guessing.
“My biggest takeaway from the rounds was the pace that we fought at and that he seemed unbreakable. I found it very hard to figure him out.”
Bradley, who has been brought in specifically to help emulate Mayweather’s style, said ‘The Notorious’ gave him a ‘black eye’ and lifted him off his feet with a crushing right uppercut.
“I’ve got a black eye at the moment and I got that from him when he was wearing 16-ounce gloves,”he said.
“I don’t know if you’ve seen the photo that he uploaded onto his Instagram after our session. People are talking about his left hand and whether the power will be there with 10-ounce gloves — he lifted me off my feet with a right uppercut in 16 (ounce gloves)!
“That shot came out of nowhere. It was so fast and powerful. I can tell you now that those kinds of shots would drop boxers, and that was his right hand. He will definitely keep his stopping power with 10-ounce gloves on.”
McGregor, 28, was mocked for the training footage he recently uploaded to social media, with fans claiming that he stands no chance against boxing’s pound-for-pound No. 1.
Bradley, however, says ‘The Notorious’s’ confidence is ‘through the roof’ and expects the SBG Ireland product to give ‘Money’ a tough fight.
“He didn’t say anything specifically about the fight, but you get an unreal sense of confidence from that guy. This was the first time I met him. The way he walks, the way he talks, you can’t help but notice his self belief. It just oozes out of him.”
“Looking at Conor yesterday,” Bradley said, “I know he’ll give Floyd a hard fight. This will not be a walkover. I really think whoever puts more into their camp will win it. I know that Conor is putting in the work and that his confidence is through the roof. He’s going to be ready when fight night comes around.”
Mayweather vs. McGregor, which is on track to being the biggest fight in combat sports history, takes place next month, August 26 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
About the author
