Erick Gonzalez lists Brandon Moreno, Max Holloway over Conor McGregor as best boxers in the UFC

Erick Gonzalez's list of best boxers in the UFC excludes Conor McGregor [Gonzalez image via @ghostpepper_ufc on Instagram; other images via Getty]

Erick Gonzalez rates Brandon Moreno and Max Holloway as the two best boxers in the UFC right now. Surprisingly, former two-division champion Conor McGregor didn't make it to his list of the best boxers in the game.

McGregor, who hails from a kickboxing background, is widely regarded as one of the best strikers in MMA due to his knockout prowess. He also went on to fight the legendary Floyd Mayweather in his pro-boxing debut and managed to last 10 rounds with the undefeated boxer.

Gonzalez, however, rates Holloway and Moreno higher than McGregor. He claimed that Moreno displayed how good his boxing is in his recently concluded interim flyweight title clash with Kai Kara-France at UFC 277. During an interaction with Sportskeeda MMA's Andrew Whitelaw, Gonzalez said:

"I think Moreno has one of the best boxing hands in the UFC man. He proved it over this weekend as well you know, he's got hands and I think that him or even Max Holloway you know. Even though he got put out by Alex, I still think he's one of the best boxers in the UFC."

Watch the full interview below:

Gonzalez is set to take on Terrance McKinney in a lightweight clash at UFC Vegas 59 this weekend.

Terrance McKinney will fight Erick Gonzalez at UFC event on August 6th. (first rep. @MMAJunkie) #UFC #MMA #UFCESPN https://t.co/nURAU0lpRj

Deiveson Figueiredo claims Brandon Moreno "calmed the beast" inside him at UFC 277

Brandon Moreno and Deiveson Figueiredo are expected to fight to unify the flyweight title down the line. The pair have already fought each other twice, with both men winning one fight each and the other one ending in a draw.

The two rivals, however, displayed sportsman spirit and mutual respect by shaking hands following Brandon Moreno's win over Kara-France at UFC 277. Figueiredo claimed that although he was initially planning on being aggressive towards Moreno, the Mexican's post-fight speech touched his heart and they ended up shaking hands.

WE'VE GOT A FIGHT. 🏆

For the first time, the quadrilogy will go down between Figueiredo & Moreno for all the gold! #UFC277 https://t.co/q78p9uJY9f

Having said that, the Brazilian has made it clear that he wants to settle the rivalry with Brandon Moreno by finishing him in their upcoming trilogy fight. During an appearance on Ariel Helwani's The MMA Hour podcast, Figueiredo said:

"I entered the cage with rage. I’m always looking for a knockout but, Brandon was so sweet during the interview that it was contagious. It kind of rubbed off on me, it kind of calmed the beast in me. But now I’m back, the rage is back, and I’m coming for a knockout in the fourth fight."

Watch the full interview below: