Chris Eubank believes that Floyd Mayweather could have under-estimated Conor McGregor and gives the Dubliner a chance of an upset if he can turn their fight into a brawl.
McGregor and Mayweather meet in a hugely-anticipated showdown in Las Vegas on Sunday night (Live blog on RTÉ.ie/News Now app from 2am approx), that is expected to generate revenues of up to $1billion.
It will be the 40-year-old American's 50th professional boxing match and McGregor's first, leading many to write-off the contest as a foregone conclusion.
However, Eubank, a former middleweight and super-middleweight world champion, isn't writing off the chances of the UFC star (29) handing Mayweather his first ever defeat as a pro.
"I don't know whether Floyd's training with the intensity needed to hold back an irrepressible spirit"
"Look at politics. Brexit could never happen, right?" Eubank told RTÉ Sport in Las Vegas.
"There is a way here. It's just whether Conor knows what to use.
"If he can bring him into a close-quarter contest, a very ugly, ungainly fight where he's rushing him and tenacious, then he has a chance to do the impossible.
"If he can make it a 50-50 fight, where's there no skill and tactics, and pit strength against strength, youth wins out. This is why I'm interested in this fight."
Eubank, whose son Chris Jnr has been sparring with Mayweather ahead of the fight, wonders whether 'Money' realises just what it will take to stop a mixed-martial-arts title winner.
"I've seen him (Mayweather) train and I don't know whether he's training with the intensity needed to hold back an irrepressible spirit.
"Floyd may have under-estimated the man's spirit.
"He's got cauliflower ears. He's MMA. What do we know about those guys? They can take punishment. And he will have to punish him.
"I don't think he's bothered about pain and if he's not, he may be irrepressible. He's 29. He has that youthful desire to win respect."
Eubank, who lost his world title to Steve Collins in a memorable battle in 1995 (above), also thinks McGregor's Irishness gives him an edge.
"This is not a mismatch," he said. "It will be if Conor tries to use skill. You can liken Floyd Mayweather to Kasparov, the most fantastic chess player of all time.
"There's no way he can live in that particular paradigm but, because he's an Irishman, he may be able to bring a different paradigm into that ring.
"In warfare, the Irish have ghost-like spirits. They can do things other nations can't do. You're a very hard people."
The "Money" Belt!
— UFC (@ufc) August 23, 2017
The winner of #MayweatherMcGregor will receive this belt on Saturday! pic.twitter.com/NU9bPD5oVP
Despite a consensus that McGregor's best chance of victory is by knockout, and 'Mystic Mac' himsef predicting one, Eubank thinks the bout could go the distance.
"I can't see a knockout. They can both absorb copious amounts of pain and pressure.
"Mayweather can take a shot. He's got a granite chin. We know that of Conor as well.
"I can see a distance fight. If Conor McGregor is as tenacious as he should be with his age and hunger...
"These men are not really fighting for money, they're fighting for honour.
"Maybe I'm romanticising all of this but that's what I am, I'm a romantic."
