"First of all, he's 120 pounds" - When Conor McGregor responded to Vasiliy Lomachenko wanting to spar him
While Conor McGregor is a huge fan of the pugilistic arts, he once brushed aside the opportunity to spar with former unified world lightweight champion Vasiliy Lomachenko.
Speaking to Fight Hub TV in the lead-up to his professional boxing debut against Floyd Mayweather, 'The Notorious' rejected Lomachenko's desire to spar with him, citing the pugilist's smaller frame as one of the reasons:
"First of all, he is 120 pounds; second of all, he is a southpaw; third of all, I'm more of a [Guillermo] Rigondeaux man myself. Where was the mention of that fight? That's the fight you need to make... I think he needs to challenge himself more."
Catch Conor McGregor's comments about Vasiliy Lomachenko below:
The Irishman, however, lauded the Ukrainian as a talented fighter but reasoned that 'Loma' being southpaw would've made him an odd addition to his fight camp for Mayweather, who was an orthodox boxer.
Lomachenko is often considered one of the greatest lightweights of the generation. He holds a record of 17-3 with wins over the likes of Luke Campbell, Anthony Crolla, and Rigondeaux, among others.
He is set to take on former unified lightweight champion George Kambosos Jr. on May 12 at the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia with the vacant IBF lightweight title on the line.
Kambosos Jr. holds a record of 21-2 with wins against the likes of Teofimo Lopez and Lee Selby, among others.
According to DraftKings Sportsbook, 'Loma' is a -700 favorite for the matchup, with 'Ferocious' a +475 underdog.
When Vasiliy Lomachenko said he'd "sc**w" Conor McGregor in boxing
While Conor McGregor went toe to toe with Floyd Mayweather for 10 rounds before suffering a TKO loss to 'Money', Vasiliy Lomachenko isn't impressed with the UFC star's boxing skill set.
According to the 36-year-old, McGregor might fare well in an amateur setting where there are fewer and shorter rounds, but the Dubliner won't go far in the professional circuit.
Speaking to TMZ Sports in 2019, Lomachenko claimed that he'd handily beat 'The Notorious' at the sweet science:
"I can beat him in a boxing ring. I will enjoy this fight, I can really go sc**w this guy. With him yeah [I'd even do up to 145 pounds] no problem."
Catch Vasiliy Lomachenko's comments below (0:48):