By Mark Vester

In a recent interview with Maxim Magazine , Bernard "The Executioner" Hopkins had some strong words on a variety of topics. Hopkins held nothing back when giving his opinion on the UFC dethroning boxing as the most popular combat sport in the world.

"Let me tell you something. Boxing survived the mob. It survived Don King. It survived every bad thing you can possibly imagine. You want to watch UFC? Go down to your local bar on a Friday night. After a few drinks, a couple of drunks will start throwing punches at one another. There's your UFC for you. UFC is street fighting in a cage. Boxing is a controlled, skilled talent. There's no comparison. Boxing's not going anywhere. It's hundreds of years old, man. You want to see biting, kicking, and kneeing? Go to your nearest bar. You want to see fighting, go to Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino on July 21," Hopkins said.

Hopkins, one of the most outspoken fighters in the game, also spoke candidly about HBO's Larry Merchant. In his opinion, Hopkins says that Merchant ambushes boxers after their fights, and make them look like idiots on national television. 

"What upsets me about Larry is that he makes boxers look like idiots. Most fighters don't take deep breaths after their fights," Hopkins said. "Larry ambushes them with questions, and they can't defend themselves, so it turns into this sideshow. But I know how to handle Larry. After the Tarver fight last year, Larry got into the ring and put the microphone in my face, and I said, "What you going to say now, Larry?" And Larry said two words: "I'm mystified."

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