Floyd Mayweather Jr. Vs Conor McGregor News: Sparring Partner Talks UFC Champion's Improvement; 10-Ounce Gloves Required in Fight
One of Conor McGregor's primary sparring partners, Paulie Malignaggi, recently talked about the Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight champion's improvement in the ring. Meanwhile, McGregor and the undefeated boxing champion Floyd "Money" Mayweather Jr. will be forced to wear 10-ounce gloves in their upcoming fight.
Malignaggi, a former two-weight boxing champion who is now retired, recently sparred with McGregor and saw something different in his presence in the ring.
"I think the intensity Conor's reaching is starting to show in the hard work he's put into camp," Malignaggi told ESPN.
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He also praised McGregor for becoming continuously better at fighting.
"I really felt improvements from two weeks ago to now ... I do see a guy who is implementing more and more of what they want to do in their game plan," Malignaggi added.
McGregor's sparring partner also talked about how he developed his presence in the ring. He said that whenever McGregor steps into a ring, he comes to win and makes sure that it becomes "as rough as possible."
Meanwhile, Mayweather and McGregor are required to wear 10-ounce gloves for their upcoming Aug. 26 fight, despite both contenders wanting to wear only eight-ounce material.
"I'm telling McGregor, 'Let's fight in 8 oz gloves.' McGregor can fight in any brand he prefers or chooses. I'll be wearing 8 oz Grant gloves. Whatever advantage McGregor needs to feel more comfortable in the ring, I'm willing to accommodate. Let's give the boxing and MMA fans what they want to see," Mayweather said in a post on Instagram.
McGregor could agree to wear eight-ounce gloves since he only uses four-ounce fingerless material when he fights in the UFC.
However, since the fight was commissioned under the junior middleweight division limit of 154 pounds, both contenders will have to wear 10-ounce gloves, according to the Nevada State Athletic Commission regulations.
Mayweather vs. McGregor will take place on Saturday, Aug. 26 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
