As previously reported on BoxingScene.com, Hall of Fame referee Joe Cortez is now a member of Conor McGregor's ongoing training camp. 

McGregor is training for his highly anticipated boxing match against five division world champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. on August 26 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Cortez, who retired several years ago but works as an expert analyst, was brought in as a boxing instructor and referee for all of McGregor's sparring sessions during his camp in Las Vegas

McGregor is also using former two division champion Paulie Malignaggi as a sparring partner.

And Malignaggi was very impressed with McGregor's level of work.

Cortez, who felt the Mayweather-McGregor fight was a joke when the contest was first announced, has also changed his opinion on the UFC superstar after watching him spar up close and personal.

“He has been doing very well,” Cortez said to the Las Vegas Review Journal. “I was pretty impressed with everything he knows.”

“We’re going to practice everything,” Cortez said. “If he scores a knockdown, he has to go to a neutral corner. He has to understand that there could be more than three knockdowns in a round, and teach him that there’s a mandatory eight count.”

“He’s a great athlete with great potential, and he is a champion in MMA and he brings a lot of talent to the sport of boxing. I believe he will bring a lot to boxing. I can see he’s a good puncher. He’s a very powerful puncher. I can say that it will be an interesting fight.”

Cortez handles things in a very serious manner, and is not taking it easy on McGregor in training camp.

“I take the sparring serious, and I don’t pick sides or play games,” Cortez said. “I’m there to teach and make sure that when fight night comes, (McGregor’s team) can’t say they weren’t taught the right way.”