Randy Couture gives his prediction for Conor McGregor vs. Floyd Mayweather

Back in 2010, former two-division UFC champion Randy Couture was charged with welcoming boxing star James Toney to mixed martial arts. As many expected, the 47-year-old Couture made quick work of his foe, dragging him into unfamiliar territory on the mat, where he locked up an arm-triangle choke for the win.

On August 26, we’ll witness a similar spectacle, as UFC megastar Conor McGregor steps into the boxing ring to battle Floyd Mayweather Jr. Speaking on The Herd with Colin Cowherd, Couture weighed in on this style-clash. Though he once successfully represented MMA against boxing in the Octagon, he gives McGregor very little chance of doing the same in the boxing ring.

“I give Conor a one in ten chance of winning this fight,” Couture said (h/t MMAFighting.com). “He’s unorthodox, he’s a southpaw, he’s not gonna throw things that Floyd’s used to seeing, he’s younger, and he’s a little bigger. Those are all positives for Conor, but at the end of the day, he’s still competing in a pure boxing match against one of the pound-for-pound best technical, best defensive fighters that we’ve seen in a long, long time.”

Couture also touched on the now infamous sparring sessions between McGregor and Paulie Malignaggi, during which McGregor allegedly dropped Malignaggi. In his opinion, it’s all a publicity stunt.

“This reeks of a publicity stunt to me. Normally, you don’t have an official referee there, presiding over a sparring match. Normally, you’d have two or three other partners there that would rotate in on rounds and give each other breaks because it’s tough being that guy. You know when you’re there you’re there to contribute, to help this guy find solutions to the problems his opponent is gonna bring.”

Do you agree with Randy Couture’s take on Conor McGregor vs. Floyd Mayweather? Join the conversation in the comments section.

This article first appeared on BJPenn.com on 8/14/2017.