Karyn Bryant Not About To Doubt Conor McGregor Vs. Floyd Mayweather

LAS VEGAS — Conor McGregor’s upcoming fight against Floyd Mayweather is on the minds of many here this week for UFC 213, including Karyn Bryant.

The UFC lightweight champion’s bold challenge of arguably the greatest boxer of all time will happen Aug. 26 in Sin City, and Bryant, the UFC on FOX anchor, is among those wondering what would happen if The Notorious gave Money more than he bargained for in the ring.

“Conor’s different. On paper and in your brain, he should not win,” Bryant told NESN.com’s Rachel Holt after she taped FOX’s “UFC Tonight” at the Park Theater. “But everything he’s done in his career up to this point has proven this is a guy who sort of pulls off the impossible. …

“He will come at the game with Floyd in a different matter. He won’t be as conventional as a regular boxer, and maybe that would throw Floyd off. I don’t really know. Obviously, Floyd is going to be a better boxer, but Conor is powerful, is going to be bigger. You just don’t know.”

While Bryant recognizes Mayweather’s prowess — “Floyd is 49-0 for a reason — the guy is the greatest of his generation,” she said — she also recognizes what McGregor could do for mixed martial arts by even hanging with the champ.

Said Bryant: “To be honest, though, even if he doesn’t outright win the fight, if Conor can make it several rounds, if Conor can even win a couple rounds, that in and of itself would be a victory for him and, I think, for a lot of other MMA fighters to just kind of get a little bit more respect.”

Respect certainly is earned, and McGregor might be carrying the weight of the UFC with him into the ring.