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Former World Champion claims Conor McGregor has been knocked out in sparring

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A recent boxing world champion has claimed that he has heard that Conor McGregor has been knocked out recently in sparring.

The Dublin light middleweight is in training for his pro boxing debut as he makes the move across from mixed martial arts. In an unprecedented event, ‘The Notorious’ will have his first fight in Las Vegas at the T-Mobile Arena on August 26th against five-weight champ Floyd Mayweather [49(26)-0], and the pair recently just finished a three-country four-city world press tour to hype the bout.

One American boxer though has stated that the Irishman’s preparations are not going to plan and that McGregor has been knocked out in sparring for the bout.

Former WBO welterweight champion Jessie Vargas [27(10)-2(0)] made the claim, which breaks one of boxing’s unwritten rules, in a recent interview with Villainfy Media, noting how word of such instances travels fast in the fight game.

The American ‘let slip’ that “this kid got knocked out in sparring already, man!”

“The boxing world is small, it’s a small circle.”

Vagas held the WBO 147lbs crown last year, stopping Sadam Ali to win the vacant belt in March before being dominated in his first defence in November by Manny Pacquiao.

28 year old Vargas is confident that Mayweather will win next month, inside the distance.

‘Ruthless’ said that “I’m looking forward to seeing Floyd coming out with the victory, by knockout. Conor’s going to get knocked out in six, seven rounds. I have no doubt, I actually want to put some money on it – the odds aren’t that bad and it’s a 99% win – there’s a 1% chance that Conor lands a lucky punch.””

Vargas’s claims should be taken with a unhealthily large pinch of salt, especially the ‘small circle’ assertion.

Firstly, McGregor’s sparring partners have signed non-disclosure agreements, so any slip would seem unlikely. More pertinently though is that McGregor is yet to begin the Las Vegas portion of his camp, and his sparring thus far has taken place in Dublin with Tiernan Bradley, Dashon Johnson, Louis Adolphe, and Jay Byrne.

Watch Jessie Vargas speak to Villainfy Media in full below:

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Joe O'Neill

Reporting on Irish boxing the past five years. Work has appeared on irish-boxing.com, Boxing News, the42.ie, and local and national media. Provide live ringside updates, occasional interviews, and special features on the future of Irish boxing. email: joneill6@tcd.ie

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