Conor McGregor WANTS Floyd Mayweather rematch, claims Artem Lobov - EXCLUSIVE
CONOR McGREGOR looks likely to defend his UFC lightweight title next but training partner Artem Lobov believes he would rather face Floyd Mayweather again.
McGregor, a double UFC champion, made his professional boxing debut in August but was undone by unbeaten boxer Mayweather.
The bout, dubbed “The Money Fight”, is thought to have generated as much as £500million in revenue and represented the biggest payday of either fighter’s career.
McGregor has yet to announce his next move although interim lightweight UFC champ Tony Ferguson is desperate to take him on for the full title, although Lobov reckons there is one bout the Irishman has his eye on first.
“I think I would like to see him defend the UFC lightweight belt,” Lobov told Express Sport.
“But the only other fight I would like to see over that one would be a rematch with Mayweather.
“Of course [McGregor would want a rematch]. You’re talking about the most competitive man on the planet.
“Trust me, he wants that win and that win is very, very close.
“Minor adjustments need to be made but I feel that we can get the win if we did it for the second time.”
McGregor impressed in the early rounds of his boxing debut but the defensive skills of Mayweather eventually bore out.
The American stopped his opponent in the 10th round but McGregor won plaudits from the boxing world which had initially branded the fight as a gimmick.
And while McGregor has been in talks for a second boxing match against rival Paulie Malignaggi, Lobov reckons who could quite easily defend his title if he returns to UFC.
“Tony Ferguson is a very tough fighter,” Lobov added.
“He comes to fight. He is no p***y. He fought everyone in the UFC.
“But I feel that his style suits Conor really well. He does take quite a lot of punishment. Even if you look at his fight against Edson Barboza, he was diving for those crazy takedowns not because everything was going well in the stand-up. He was going because he was getting rapped on his feet.
“I feel that Conor is a lot more precise and has more power in his arms and his hands. I feel it would be a quick night for Tony.”
And Floyd Mayweather has been back in the gym, hinting at a return to the ring.
***Watch Artem Lobov on UFC FIGHT NIGHT: COWBOY vs. TILL live on BT Sport from 8pm BST on Saturday October 21 or catch the Prelims exclusively on UFC Fight Pass from 4.30pm BST.***