CONOR McGREGOR is preparing to brace the boxing world again – with opinions soon to be divided once more on the move.
Three years after losing against Floyd Mayweather on his ring debut, McGregor announced he will face Manny Pacquiao in the Middle East.
The 32-year-old UFC star faced critics before and after his loss to Mayweather, ranging from his punching technique and stamina.
Others praised McGregor for his effort against the American legend, having won early rounds and landing 111 punches – more than Pacquiao and Canelo managed.
For some the southpaw star’s quality was never in question, and here SunSport finds out how sparring partners rate McGregor’s capability in the ring.
Chris van Heerden
Before that sparring saga with Paul Malignaggi, there was an original.
McGregor sparred South African welterweight Van Heerden in LA ahead of his rematch win against Nate Diaz in 2016.
But in all too familiar fashion, sparring footage caused uproar between the pair, with Van Heerden accusing the UFC star of editing footage.
Prior to the fallout, he was full of praise for McGregor, telling Submission Radio: “Can Conor McGregor box? Yes. He can.
“I was shocked at how well he could handle himself in the ring.
“You can immediately see that Conor’s got a boxing background and that he knows how to use his hands. Yes, Conor can fight.”
Paulie Malignaggi
Before McGregor’s ‘money-fight’ with Mayweather, a now infamous sparring session with Malignaggi threatened to steal the headlines.
Malignaggi stormed out of the Irishman’s camp after pictures and footage leaked – including a disputed knockdown of the retired boxer.
He has since challenged McGregor and mocked his boxing ability, but right after their second spar, the respected analyst gave a more impartial verdict.
Malignaggi told Fighter and The Kid: “Do you want to know if he hits hard? Yeah, I mean, he’s not a weak puncher. I’ll say that.
“People are dying for me to say, ‘Oh he hits hard!’ Oh, his big left hand.’ Listen, if Conor hits you, you’re going to feel it. He’s a grown man.
“I’d say he’s an above average puncher. If he lands a shot with 10 oz gloves, it will probably get your attention.”
Tiernan Bradley
McGregor recruited the help of seven-time Irish amateur champion Bradley, who turned pro this year.
The welterweight prospect did not hold back when lauding McGregor’s hand speed and power.
Bradley told Irish News in 2017: “He caught me with a right uppercut that took me by surprise and temporarily lifted me off my feet – and that was him wearing 16 ounce gloves!
“Everybody talks about the left hand but, believe me, he can bang off either side. He has a supernatural power.
“I’m not being told to say that or put that message out there, it’s just the first thing you notice when you go a few rounds with him.
I already knew I could take a shot from sparring the likes of Lewis Crocker in the past, but I wouldn’t want to be taking that uppercut from McGregor with 10 ounce gloves like those he will wear against Floyd – and especially not the four ounce gloves they wear in UFC.”
Louis Adolphe
Before McGregor flew to Las Vegas, he sparred British welterweight Louis Adolphe, a former Team GB boxer and ABA champion.
The ex-amateur stand out admitted he was surprised with the former UFC champion’s technical ability and understanding.
He told Boxing Monthly at the time: “He is far better than people give him credit for, his understanding of range, the speed of his hands and mind is incredible. Very sharp.
“That surprised me, I remember thinking, ‘OK, this is competitive. This guy has hands’.
“I spoke after about how he would do in boxing, people say he wouldn’t even win an area title. That’s madness – he would with ease.
“I would be setting traps, walking him on to the big punch and then he’s making you think, he’s read that and he’s setting you up for something.”
Artem Lobov
Lobov is a long-time team-mate and close friend of McGregor’s.
He helped him prepare to face Mayweather beforehand, and claimed sparring partners don’t usually come back for more in their Dublin gym.
Lobov told Reuters: “He has incredible power, a power that nobody else has. I’ve never seen anyone hit that hard.
“You won’t see many other training partners around – only a Russian Irishman can take those bombs.
“That’s why I’m there, from the start until the end.
“When Conor connects, people fall and they don’t wake up.”
Frans Mlambo
Mlambo is another of McGregor’s trusty sparring partners and described what it’s like to trade leather with his gym mate.
The 9-5 bantamweight fighter told MMAdigest in January: “Obviously that left hand is the most dangerous.
“But he is very good at adapting. I like to switch things up if I’m not comfortable as well as he’s very good at adapting to what you’re doing.
“We just bounce off each other real good, especially in sparring. I was always a way smaller guy than Conor.
“And I’ve seen him sparring way bigger guys than me and absolutely destroying them.
“But I think I just got so used to him, that’s why he kept me sparring with him for so long as I could just keep going with him.”
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