Former UFC Middleweight Champion Michael Bisping believes if the bout does happen, it has a chance to go the distance.
“I swear to God, Khabib would go the distance with Mayweather,” Bisping said on Believe You Me. “He’d go the distance with Mayweather. I’m not saying Khabib is a better boxer than McGregor, he’s not a better striker, he’s not as elusive, he’s not as slick - but he’s got a f**king chin and he’s got cardio for days. And Mayweather, at his age, he was never a knockout guy even though he did have some knockouts. He knocked out England’s very own Ricky Hatton in devastating fashion, but I don’t see it.”
Nurmagomedov has no professional boxing experience at all, while Mayweather holds a record of 50-0-0.
Bisping believes that a big reason Khabib can go the distance is because Mayweather couldn’t drop Conor McGregor during The Money Fight.
“He couldn’t put McGregor down and that’s what Khabib’s saying - you couldn’t put McGregor down, I put McGregor down - but he put McGregor down through fatigue and that was his game plan. McGregor was very, very tired and he started eating shots, and in the end he couldn’t even fight back because he was so exhausted and kind of beat up, so the referee stepped in. That wouldn’t happen against Khabib. Mayweather would probably embarrass him and light him up and pick him apart all night long, but Khabib would probably go 12 rounds. Conor wasn’t far away from going 12 rounds,” says Bisping.
Vegas odds list Nurmagomedov as a +900 underdog for the potential boxing match, while McGregor came in as a +950 for his bout against Mayweather.
