Floyd Mayweather Says He's Gotten Slower, Conor McGregor Has Advantage On Paper

Jae C. Hong/Associated Press

Floyd Mayweather Jr. usually talks about himself, but he spent Tuesday building up his upcoming opponent.

In an interview with Stephen A. Smith of ESPN, the boxer explained why Conor McGregor has some advantages for the Aug. 26 bout.

"He's a lot younger. When you look at myself and Conor McGregor on paper, he's taller, has a longer reach, he's a bigger man from top to bottom. He's a lot younger, so youth is on his side," Mayweather said, per ESPN.com. "And I've been off a couple of years. And I'm in my 40s. So, if you look at everything on paper, it leans toward Conor McGregor."

While some might think he is making built-in excuses in case he loses, it's tough to argue with the 40-year-old's points, especially as he says he has "lost a step." Although he is still 49-0 in his career, he hasn't knocked anyone out since 2011.

Still, he is ready to fight the 29-year-old McGregor.

"I didn't say I couldn't fight," he explained. "I just said I'm not the same Floyd Mayweather I once was."

He is certain to produce his best effort against the UFC champion. There could even be some extra motivation after being on the receiving end of some hateful words during the promotional tour.

In the Smith interview, Mayweather explained that the biggest issue he had with McGregor was his use of racial slurs.

"I just didn't like when he called us monkeys," he said.

Mayweather is known for his trash talk leading up to events of this nature, but his opponent this time took it to another level. This could lead to an interesting bout in Las Vegas.