Conor McGregor predicts a second round KO with 8 ounce gloves

It was a big day for the Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor boxing superfight, coming up fast on August 26th. The Nevada Athletic Commission made a number of important decisions regarding the fight including who would ref and judge, and also agreed to allow the fighters to wear 8 ounce gloves instead of 10 ounce.

That was a request made by Floyd Mayweather over social media, and after Team McGregor agreed the two parties approached the NAC for a decision. Despite a letter from the Association of Ringside Physicians asking the commission to deny the change, an agreement was reached allowing it due to the unusual nature of the boxer vs MMA fighter bout.

"I'm very happy with how the Nevada State Athletic Commission handled it, actually," McGregor said during a media call later in the day. "They handled it fairly, they listened to both requests and just the overall approach to the decision in the referee and the judges, I think they were very fair throughout, so that was a good thing for me to see that. Taking into consideration both fighter's requests and I'm very happy with it."

The smaller gloves aren't just an advantage for McGregor. They're also the size of gloves Mayweather is used to fighting in.

"You've got pros and cons on both sides," Conor admitted. "You've got both athletes asking for the request, and you've got me also coming up 8 ounces from what I'm used to ... Hey, look what I fight with with. I fight in 4 ounce gloves. Fingerless gloves. The knuckles are barely covered in what I'm used to. It benefits both in certain ways, so I'm very happy with it."

"I was already up 6 ounces from 4 to 10, so it's down a little bit from 10 to 8. How often he's worn the gloves or any of that doesn't really factor into - I didn't even know that, for instance. So that didn't factor into my thoughts at all. I do not care about his record, I do not care about his achievements, every fight is on a fight by fight basis so that's how we approach it."

And while McGregor doesn't care what Mayweather can do with 8 ounce gloves, he did say he felt more confident in a quick knockout finish now that the smaller gloves were in play.

"I believe now with the gloves at 8 ounces, I don't believe he makes it out of the second round," McGregor said. "Part of me is hoping maybe he can last so the word of 'Oh, a lucky puncher' - which I've been labeled with before, even though I have multiple under one minute KOs on my record. So part of me wants to show some skill and dismantle him that way. But I do not see him absorbing the blows in the first two rounds."

"But we are ready for absolutely any scenario. I'm ready to go to war for the full 12 rounds, and I'm ready to put him away in the first 10 seconds."