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Gary O'Sullivan is set to challenge Erislandy Lara for his WBA (Regular) Middleweight Title this weekend. It will be the Irish fighter's first world title bout, though he has shared the ring with four world champions.
The boxer recently sat down with Roddy Collins for the Irish Mirror to talk about the upcoming fight. During the interview, Collins asked Gary O'Sullivan what would happen if he was challenged by Conor McGregor. O'Sullivan said:
"He wouldn’t. Not a hope. He wouldn’t fight me at all. No chance. 100 percent. Not a hope in hell. I would slaughter him. He just wouldn’t be in the same league in a boxing match.”
Though McGregor is known for his time in the UFC, his introduction to combat sports was the amateur boxing world. Moreover, the Irishman crossed over to the sport for a highly-marketed bout with Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2017 but lost via TKO.
Gary O'Sullivan vs. Erislandy Lara
Erislandy Lara has held several world titles during his career and currently has a record of 28-3-3. Gary O'Sullivan is a former Irish and Intercontinental champion with a record of 31-4.
Lara is a heavy favorite in the upcoming bout. However, O'Sullivan believes that he will become a world champion this weekend.
Lara, of Cuba, is 39-years-old. Yet, he recently told Michael Rosenthal of Yahoo! News that he still feels capable of fighting the best in his division:
"Come May 28, when I come out victorious, I’m ready to fight the best in the division. I’m not even going to mention their names, because I’m tired of doing that. I’m just focused on getting in the ring with all the best fighters.”
In his interview, O'Sullivan told Collins that he can't remember a time when he was not a boxer:
"My dad was in the army and he used to box there. I can never remember not being a boxer. I put on my first gumshield when I was five. My dad would sit on his bed and he would spar me, throw a jab and get me to duck."
His professional career has spanned nearly fifteen years and, as the fighter is 37-years-old, may soon be coming to an end. Saturday's fight may be the last chance Gary O'Sullivan has to claim a world title.
