Part II Local coaches weigh in on McGregor-Mayweather

This is part two of a three-part series on the McGregor-Mayweather fight. The last part of this series is what people think about the fight. Would you pay for the fight and why and who do you think will win the fight and why? Please send your response to sports editor Vern Hee at vhee@pvtimes.com

The Conor McGregor vs. Floyd Mayweather fight is scheduled for Las Vegas at the T-Mobile Arena on August 26 and the seats are already sold out.

The fight will be a big deal and who will win is something that the experts really can’t nail down. Who will win?

Last week mixed martial arts fighter and local karate expert Andrew Gonzalez spoke out about the Conor McGregor vs. Floyd Mayweather fight and said “that hands down the best boxer in the sport,” Mayweather will win the fight.

This week two boxing coaches from Pahrump speak out, along with one MMA coach on the fight.

Boxing coach Rodney Crisler began teaching a beginning boxing class for ages four to 15 about a year ago. He is currently teaching eight-to-10-year-old kids in Pahrump at the VIP All-Stars gym at 2400 East Basin Ave. He said he also teaches adults.

“I also teach in Las Vegas too,” he said. “I have five national champions there and one Olympic boxer. I started boxing when I was eight years old and really never quit, and I am 53 now. I have coached continuously for 25 years.”

Boxing coach backs MMA fighter

Crisler, surprisingly, is not saying that Mayweather will win.

“I think McGregor will try to knock him out,” Crisler said. “McGregor is a good striker. They both are big ticket sellers. It will be a great fight. I train MMA fighters and they are better strikers than boxers. I think if Mayweather takes fight lightly-he will lose because McGregor can punch and is accurate. McGregor has some weaknesses but his strikes are on top. Floyd is in for a rude awakening.”

Boxing coach Ruben Bajo has been boxing since he was five years old. He also coaches boxing in Pahrump. He teaches at his church near Home Depot.

Boxing coach backs Mayweather

Bajo is backing Mayweather. Bajos says the training that Mayweather does is far different than the McGegor. He said McGregor will lose for several reasons.

“Boxing conditioning is better than the MMA. There is no comparison. It is fives times more than what an MMA fighter does. There is also the glove factor. Boxing gloves are heavier than what MMA fighters use. I see the gloves will take a toll on McGregor. After a few rounds he will drop his hands and Mayweather will take him apart,” he said.

He also says that McGregor will not have the gas to go the full distance.

“The boxers are used to going 12 rounds and McGregor is not,” Bajo said. “I think the fight is good for publicity and not for boxing.”

MMA coach backs Mayweather

MMA coach, Brian Thelaner believes Mayweather will win this fight hands down. Thelaner is a jiu-jitsu and kickboxing coach and has been a personal coach for amateur MMA fighter Brandon Schneider.

“I really would love to see McGregor win but, I really don’t see him doing well against the counter-punching of Mayweather,” Thelaner said. “I think he will point him to death. Mayweather will win because he is the better boxer. If this was an MMA fight, McGregor would win it. I just don’t see McGregor as a brawler. His hands are OK but just not at the level of Mayweather. If you were to stick McGregor with an average boxer and not a champion, he would win hands down. But not against a champion boxer like Mayweather.”

As far as McGregor having the gas to go the distance, he doesn’t agree with Bajo.

“I don’t see not having the gas to go the whole distance as being an issue,” he said. “I think the MMA guys are used to the conditioning.”