White on Mayweather: It takes years to become a mixed martial artist
Dana White: “Years. It takes years of wrestling, martial arts, and combat sports training to be a mixed martial artist. Years.”
UFC president Dana White was recently asked by a TMZ stringer how close boxer Floyd Mayweather was to entering the Octagon, potentially vs. Conor McGregor.
“I don’t know, we’ll find out,” said White. I don’t know … I’m interested. And obviously, he’s interested so … the last time we were both interested, you saw what happened.”
White was asked about Mayweather’s likely first opponent.
“Who knows,” replied. “Possibly Connor. … I know Connor wants it.”
Then White confirmed he is interested in making it happen. Finally White was asked about Mayweather’s estimate that he could be ready to fight in six to eight weeks. White was asked to estimate how long it might take Mayweather to prepare.
“Obviously he’s a very talented guy,” said the UFC boss. “But as far as the wrestling, nobody is going to learn to wrestle in six to eight weeks.”
White was asked how long then?
Years, explained White. It takes years of wrestling, martial arts, and combat sports training to be a mixed martial artist. Years.”
He’s a defensive master with his hands, doing all this stuff, continued White, mimicking Mayweather’s parries. When somebody double-legs you and drops you on your head, he doesn’t have the defense for that. Ummm, yeah, no.
TMZ’s reporter then noted that McGregor is not known for his wrestling in the Octagon.
“The worst thing for Floyd with Conor is the kicks,” explained White. “He doesn’t have to worry about wrestling. Conor has a great submission game. But you don’t have to worry about any of that. You’ve got to worry about Conor’s kicks. Floyd’s never been kicked to the leg, and he’s definitely never been kicked to the head.”
As White noted correctly, developing the complete skillset for MMA with no wrestling background takes years. However, when the idea of Floyd Mayweather boxing Conor McGregor was first broached, UFC president Dana White wanted some degree of hybrid rules.
“If we start negotiating, it starts with punches kicks and elbows,” he said at the time. “And we can either add or subtract from there, whichever way we go.”
Team Money should take the identical approach.
If we start negotiating, it starts with no clinching, takedowns or submissions, they should propose. We can either add or subtract from there, whichever way we go.
Could Floyd learn to block kicks in six to eight weeks? He definitely has a better chance of doing so than he does learning to wrestle.
