Floyd Mayweather Jr. likes to do research on his opponents, and according to the undefeated boxing star, this goes far beyond just watching for tendencies and weaknesses on their past bouts.
“It’s about doing your homework. It’s not really just watching fight tapes. It’s knowing the person that you’re facing across the ring from you,” Mayweather said during a recent media scrum. “You want to know what that person likes to eat. You want to know what that person is doing when they’re not in training camp. You know if they’re drinking, how much they’re drinking. Who they’re hanging out with him.
“That’s called doing your due diligence and your homework on your opponent. Not just watching film and fight tapes.”
Mayweather says he also knows certain information about McGregor’s preparations.
“Even right now. I know what Conor McGregor is down to. He’s down. I think he was a little bit heavy. I think he’s at 160 now, so he’s down. Yeah, I mean I know what’s going on.”
He also claims to already know McGregor’s game plan, and says it really won’t work against him.
“McGregor, he’s going to come out, and he’s going to keep switching. I already know what he’s going to do,” he said. “He’s going to come out southpaw, then he’s going to switch the other way. But when you keep switching, all you’re going to do is burn energy.”
“Let me give him knowledge so that he can see. As you keep switching and keep switching, you’re burning too much energy.”
When asked if he spoke to McGregor’s disgruntled former sparring partner in Paul Malignaggi to get this information, Mayweather denied it.
“I don’t have to worry about speaking to Paulie,” Floyd said, before moving on to compliment his friend. “One thing about Paulie, I commend Paulie for going to camp and trying to help Conor, trying to help step his game up to the next level, giving him that extra boost. I’m glad that Paulie went to camp to help McGregor.”
For what it’s worth, what Floyd said isn’t actually very private information.
Conor’s nutritionist has been talking about dropping some weight, while McGregor routinely posts training photos with captions talking about switching, and how “unorthodox” his approach and movement will be. So unless he knows far more than what he’s sharing, it may not be fair to automatically conclude that Malignaggi was being his “mole” here.
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