Amir Khan Says He'd Beat Conor McGregor 'Quite Easily' in Boxing Fight
Former light-welterweight world boxing champion Amir Khan believes he'd dispatch of UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor "quite easily" if the two were to ever meet in a boxing ring.
There has been much speculation about McGregor taking on retired boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. recently, and when Khan was asked how he feels he would fare against the Irishman, he suggested he'd win in comfortable style. He conceded he'd struggle to cope with the Notorious at his own game, though.
"I don't know if I'd be any good at it, but I'd give it my all [in MMA]," Khan told ESNEWS (h/t James Whaling of the Daily Mirror). "He [McGregor] wouldn't know—I'd just hit him—bam-bam-bam-bam, but if he grabbed me I'm done, I'd have to work on that. ... In boxing, I think I beat him quite easily in boxing, but in MMA, I think it might be tough, but you just don't know."
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Khan also spoke about a possible switch from boxing to MMA in the future, suggesting that "I always said I'd give it a go, I'm a fighter who likes to fight and try different things."
Although talk of a UFC competitor taking on a professional boxer may have seemed fantastical at the highest level not too long ago, the speculation fuelled by McGregor and Mayweather has got fans' minds racing.
Earlier this month, Mayweather said he was out of retirement, having been inactive since his win in 2015 against Andre Berto, although he stated it was only to fight the lightweight MMA star.
Naturally, the UFC champion would be a massive underdog if he did leave his comfort zone and box one of Mayweather or Khan.
Bleacher Report's Jonathan Snowden doesn't think McGregor would fare well against any elite fighters around the welterweight limit:
"There isn't a single top 10 boxer between 147-154 he could possibly beat. https://t.co/A1ozlcXMuX
— Jonathan Snowden (@JESnowden) March 20, 2017"
Khan did take the time to praise McGregor for how he has helped the UFC develop, with the Irishman now the biggest star in the company.
"Conor's a fighter who's put the UFC on the map, he knows how to market himself," Khan said in the same interview. "This is what fighting is all about, it's all about promoting yourself, sometimes being that bad guy and making yourself a big name."
No doubt McGregor would take exception to some of Khan's comments, especially the notion that he would aim a flurry of jabs towards him. After all, the Irishman has shown fine movement and sharp stand-up fighting skills inside the Octagon.
However, the sweet science is another matter entirely, and if McGregor were to go in with Khan, the searing speed and neat footwork of the Bolton puncher would likely prevent the Notorious from getting near him.
It'll be fascinating to see what direction Khan takes in his career next. A potential showdown with Manny Pacquiao was pencilled in for April, but the bout has since been called off. The 30-year-old's last outing was in May 2016, when he suffered a heavy knockout loss at the hands of Saul "Canelo" Alvarez.
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