Updates, my take on Mayweather versus McGregor

Some news tidbits that we've heard.

Thomas Hughes (above right) , who won his pro MMA debut earlier this month, is planning to fight on a SteelFist card in October. Hughes also plans to train in Las Vegas.

MMA pro Francisco Cisco Alcantara has plans to get back in the cage. There are reports he will fight Carson Gregory on a SteelFist card soon.

Also planning to fight again on a SteelFist card is Ogden MMA pro AJ Garcia.

We interviewed amateur MMA fighter Bryce Edminister recently. He fought undefeated Kellen VanCamp in Boise last weekend. Two excellent prospects fought three hard rounds with Edminister, who trains out of The Garage, losing a decision.

We'll be interviewing 40-something MMA pros John Valentine and Rowdy Akers, who are squaring off in a farewell bout Sept. 16 in SLC at SteelFist.

UPCOMING EVENTS:  Here are upcoming events courtesy of the state athletic commission. I have rumors of a boxing card in October but so far it's not listed. In September, besides SteelFist we have Fierce Fighting Championships on Sept. 30.

MY TAKE ON MAYWEATHER VERSUS MCGREGOR: Tomorrow night, Floyd Mayweather, a semi-retired boxing legend (49-0) will meet Conor McGregor (21-3), the most celebrated current UFC MMA champ. It's a boxing match, albeit with 8 ounce gloves, usually boxers fight with 10 ounce gloves.

Floyd Mayweather has beaten everyone placed in front of him. As he gets older (and frankly, I doubt Mayweather has the power to KO a featherweight contender at this point in his career) the chances increase that he humiliates himself with a loss. McGregor is not a qualified boxing opponent for him. He has some amateur experience, that is it. (Let me just add that if this was an MMA fight I'd say the same about Floyd.)

What Mayweather has is incredible, Hall of Fame defensive skills. Even the best boxers have trouble hitting him when he's in a corner covering up. I can't see McGregor landing more than a couple of punches a round. It's easy for me to see Mayweather landing jabs and medium shots all night against McGregor's aggression.

Allow me to point to a preliminary boxing bout roughly 20 months ago in Davis County between a young boxing prospect named George Vigil and Ogden's Pat Reeves, one of my favorite MMA fighters (he's now retired). In the cage, Reeves would beat Vigil. In the ring, Reeves was very aggressive, threw lots of punches and landed occasionally. But he missed many of his shots as the boxer Vigil would land counter shots and jabs through the entire fight. Reeves was game, but it wasn't his combat sport. The ring, and specific rules of boxing, favored the boxer, of course.

I understand I am comparing a preliminary boxing bout to a superfight between the best boxer and best MMA fighter. But it's my belief that the fight will follow the lines of Vigil versus Reeves, with an aggressive McGregor throwing lots of punches at Mayweather, landing once in a while, but missing most. Mayweather will outbox him, counter effectively. I don't believe he will knock out Conor, who will tire in the final half of the bout while Floyd will stay on automatic. An easy unanimous decision for Mayweather.

BOXING

Louie's Boxing gym is having a fundraiser on Sept. 10. Jose Haro will be there to gtreet fans. All the info is in the photo below.