Former two division world champion Ricky Hatton admits that he's a big fan of UFC superstar Conor McGregor, but he's not very confident about the fighter's chances in the upcoming clash with five division world champion Floyd Mayweather Jr.
McGregor, in his first professional boxing match, will take on Mayweather on August 26th at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Their press tour will begin on Tuesday, with stops in Los Angeles, New York City, Toronto and London. The Showtime Pay-Per-View card has a HD price tag of $99.95.
Hatton stepped in the ring with Mayweather in 2007, and suffered his first career defeat, via knockout, in Las Vegas.
Mayweather retired back in September 2015 after dominating Andre Berto, and now returns to the ring at the age of 40.
Despite his age and two years of inactivity, Mayweather is a huge favorite not only to win, but to win a one-sided contest. Hatton like many others, has doubts about McGregor's ability to catch Mayweather with any punches.
But that still doesn't stop Hatton from hoping that his friend comes away with the win.
“When you look at what Mayweather’s done, everyone says about him being 40 years of age. He’s a young 40 years of age because he’s a master of defence, there’s no mileage on the clock. It’s not as if he’d take one to get one and if anyone of 40 years of age can still have it, I think it’s Floyd. He’s dedicated, he looks after his body. He’s the best defensively,” Hatton said to Boxing News.
“When you look at how I struggled and Canelo never won a round, barely laid a glove on him and [Oscar] De La Hoya, one of the most technical boxers probably we’ve seen in my lifetime couldn’t do that with him, I can’t see how Conor McGregor can. I hope he wins and I hope he knocks him out, I’m a big McGregor fan. And I don’t blame him for taking the fight. If you offered me the fight [for that money] I’d probably take the fight. At the end of the day somebody somewhere has got to turn around [and say] how can somebody who has not had one pro fight to his name fight the best of all time?”