Think UFC champ Conor McGregor would be doomed in boxing? Think again, one boxer says

When Conor McGregor uncorked the ferocious four-punch combination that brought a concussive conclusion to Eddie Alvarez’s reign as lightweight champion at UFC 205, one man sitting among the baying hordes in Madison Square Garden looked on with a knowing delight.

Conor Wallace, who is one of Irish amateur boxing’s rising stars, had flown to New York in hopes of witnessing his compatriot become the first UFC fighter ever to concurrently hold titles in two different weight classes.

As McGregor secured his second-round TKO of Alvarez, he added the lightweight strap to the featherweight equivalent he had taken from Jose Aldo 11 months prior at UFC 194.

Of course, Wallace was much more than a vested spectator. On the recommendation of former Irish Olympic boxers Michael Conlan and Paddy Barnes, the native of Newry, Northern Ireland, was drafted by McGregor to mimic Nate Diaz ahead of their rematch at UFC 202.

A long, rangy southpaw, Wallace spent countless hours in the ring with McGregor as he sought to gain vengeance for the second-round submission loss inflicted on him by Diaz at UFC 196.

Indeed, McGregor, demonstrating a markedly more measured approach to his striking, earned a majority decision win over Diaz to set up his showdown with Alvarez.

Following his victory over the Philadelphian in November, McGregor didn’t have too much time to bask in his unprecedented two-title achievement.

Two weeks after he beat Alvarez, during a live broadcast of UFC Fight Night 101 in Australia, it was announced that McGregor had vacated his featherweight crown, and then-interim champion Jose Aldo would replace him as the undisputed kingpin at 145 pounds.

On Saturday night at UFC 206 in Toronto, Max Holloway took the interim featherweight title with a third-round TKO of Anthony Pettis in the main event, which was aired live on pay-per-view following prelims on FS1 and UFC Fight Pass.

This strange dynamic was made all the more surreal by a recent announcement that McGregor had been granted a boxing license by the California State Athletic Commission.

The fanciful notion of McGregor taking on retired five-division world champion Floyd Mayweather in some form of superfight has been mooted for months, and the Dubliner’s license to box in “The Golden State” only further fanned the flames of speculation.

The boxing community’s reaction to McGregor potentially stepping into the ring was largely one of derision, with the consensus being he would struggle with a journeyman, let alone Mayweather, who hung up his gloves with a 49-0 record.

It quickly became clear to Wallace during his time with McGregor in Las Vegas, that the “Notorious” has never lost his love for the first combat sport he put his hand to. This, he said, is as good a start as any.

“You could tell he watches professional boxing very closely and he was always showing you stuff on his phone,” Wallace told MMAjunkie. “I really can’t see why not, because it’s not just a thing that happened over night.

“With him having the amateur background from when he was younger, when he boxed in the Crumlin Boxing Club, which is a gym that has a lot of professionals in it, he must have just kept that hunger for it. Plus, he could make millions from it, and money talks. It would be really interesting and great to see. Whether it happens or not is another thing. Personally, I’d love to see it.”

Money certainly does talk. McGregor claimed at the UFC 205 post-fight press conference that the UFC’s new owners, WME-IMG, should now be offering him equity in the company, which is why this touted foray into the sweet science could be nothing more than a bargaining chip.

But what of the practicalities of McGregor actually transitioning to boxing? Even for a man who revels in risk-taking, it feels a stretch too far.

According to Wallace, the first step would require some good old fashioned practice.

“He’s not starting from scratch because of his amateur background and it would be just a case of doing it all the time and just doing rounds upon rounds of pure boxing,” Wallace said. “A lot of people have criticized him, but he’s just been doing boxing around twice a week, because he’s got to think about the jiu-jitsu and the wrestling.

“If he’s doing rounds five days a week, the only thing he can do is get better. A lot people have been very quick to run him down, but once he puts his mind to something he does it, and he does get the results. I would love to see him do it.”

McGregor has been lauded for his feats of pugilism in the octagon. His is a rare blend of searing speed, fluent movement and ferocious power, but all in the context of MMA.

Wallace claims that there are a number of issues that would require immediate addressing, the kind of refining that makes you a credible boxer, as opposed to a mixed martial artist whose primary weapons are his fists.

“A lot more volume and punches,” he said. “The feet are a massive thing, as well, to get in and out of range and to keep yourself balanced. With boxing, you’re throwing a lot more shots and sitting down on punches.

“You slow it down a bit more and it’s a little bit flat-footed because that five minutes (MMA rounds) is long, so it’s a different type of fitness. He’s tricky, hard to hit, and a good mover, but it would be about learning to slip more punches. Also, with the bigger glove, it gives you a bigger target.”

Boxing aficionados would also point out that, in MMA, the use of hands is predominantly predicated on force, and that there is a distinct lack of comprehensive combinations.

Wallace agrees, but claimed that this could be a question of physics, and not necessarily based on a skills deficiency.

“You wouldn’t see a whole lot (of combinations), but I suppose that’s down to the fact that you’re only wearing the 4-ounce gloves, and once you get hit with a good shot there’s not too many people still standing,” Wallace said. “But with boxing, whether you’re wearing the 10- or 12-ounce gloves, guys can take a lot more.

“Once you get hit with an MMA glove, it’s like getting hit with a bare knuckle, and guys seem to fold. That’s why going into boxing you’d have to be throwing more shots, whereas in MMA it only takes a couple.”

Ultimately, Wallace would not bet against McGregor getting into the ring at some stage, but it would force him to forgo all other disciplines.

“If he got a good camp behind him, concentrated solely on boxing five or six times a week, who knows where he could go to. With him it would only take a couple of fights because it would be a money stunt and then he could get out of there. He’s already proved a lot of people wrong in a lot of different things.”

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