Leonard Ellerbe heaps praise on Conor McGregor, discusses his future in boxing

Conor McGregor’s crossover showdown with Floyd Mayweather Jr. did not go the way he planned, as he folded under a shower of 10th-round punches, losing by TKO as a result. All the same, the Irishman’s valiant effort earned him the respect of many in the boxing community, and his future is looking brighter than ever.

One member of the boxing world who was particularly impressed by McGregor’s work against Mayweather was Mayweather Promotions CEO Leonard Ellerbe.

“I was actually very surprised with his ability to do certain things,” Ellerbe said at the fight’s post-fight press conference (h/t MMAFighting.com). “He definitely has, if he chooses to — he definitely has a future in boxing, if he chooses to. To be able to last as long as he did, he’s a very tough competitor. He has a big heart, and again, he showed a lot, especially with this being his professional debut. I think that he did the UFC proud, he did his country proud, and he should definitely keep his head up high.

“He’s tough as nails,” Ellerbe added. “He wasn’t going to lay down. He has a big heart and I understand why he’s the biggest star in the UFC, and one of the biggest stars in all of sports.”

While Ellerbe admits McGregor might have a future in boxing, he does not plan on working with any other UFC fighters in the future.

“We’re not looking to fight any other UFC fighters,” Ellerbe said. “It was a great promotion, I really enjoyed working with Dana and his team, very professional group. They’ve had a tremendous amount of success and I truly understand why. He’s got a great team and they have a great, well-oiled machine, and again it was a great joy to be able to work with them on this promotion.”

Do you think Conor McGregor should take another crack at boxing?

This article first appeared on BJPenn.com on 8/27/2017.