Former Mayweather opponent Ricky Hatton on Mayweather vs McGregor ahead of the pair’s August 26th showdown in Vegas.

Few no what it’s like to spend time in a boxing ring with Floyd Mayweather than Englishman Ricky Hatton who was stopped by the American a decade ago back in 2007 at the MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas.

Fast forward ten years and Irishman Conor McGregor will attempt to do something that Hatton and many great boxers couldn’t do.

Hatton has always been vocal about the referee on the night Joe Cortez not letting him work up close and fight his fight against Mayweather.

Ironically McGregor hired Joe Cortez for his training camp for Mayweather to familiarise himself with boxing rules before stepping into the squared circle on August 26th.

Speaking to MMA fighter Jack Marshman, Hatton was keen to impress upon viewers the importance of the referee in such an unusual fight – saying:

“If the referee lets him have a crack. I think when I look back on it (my fight with Mayweather) I hope the referee lets Conor have a go. I’m not saying that I’d have won the (Mayweather) fight anyway if the referee had let me had a go. All you want is a fair crack of the whip. I think he must be thinking the same as me. Just let me have a fair shout and let me have a go at him. If he lets him have a fight with his strength as well, I think with Floyd at 40 years of age – we might see him dwindle a lot bit.”

He added:

“If Conor can put his foot on the gas from there on in he might get a late stoppage or maybe even a points win. I think Conor will probably say I don’t mind losing the early rounds – as long as bit by bit I can sap his strength and drain him – and slow him down a bit. You’d have to say with Mayweather’s boxing ability the early part of the fight is Floyd’s but eventually if he’s given the opportunity by the referee to keep on him and keep on him, by the time it gets to round 6, 7 and 8 – then it might be Conor’s part of the fight.”

An interesting point by Hatton considering that McGregor is crossing over from an entirely different sport and any fouling will be highlighted even more.

For the full interview above check it out here on YouTube: