LEE’S TAKEN SIN OUT HIS LAST VEGAS
LEE McGREGOR admits there’s no pool parties in Las Vegas this time – but he’s ready to jump in at the deep end after watching ring king Terence Crawford make a splash.
The Edinburgh ace has spent the last few weeks training in Sin City with Josh Taylor as the pair gear up for blockbuster bouts.
McGregor will defend his European bantamweight title against Armenian Narek Abgaryan in Manchester on December 18 while Taylor faces Jack Catterall in the new year.
The duo were last in Vegas when Taylor was crowned undisputed light welterweight champion and partied in the aftermath.
It’s all business this time as they’ve got to work in the famous Top Rank gym off the Strip, where legend Crawford did his hard yards before smashing Shawn Porter last weekend.
McGregor said: “The last time I had no voice from the fight the night before!
“It’s different this time – no pool parties. But I’m soaking up the experience and still enjoying it.
“There will be no celebration parties.
“It’s strictly business. I’m training as hard as I always do and I’m getting ready for December 18 to be the best version of myself.
“We’ve mainly been training in Top Rank gyms so we’ve been around Crawford week and we attended his fight.
“It’s brilliant to be in the company of these guys and I’m soaking it all up.”
McGregor has taken the British, Commonwealth and European straps inside just 11 fights and is looking to move up to world level.
Pound-for-pound star
Naoya Inoue rules the division and is the longterm target. But a rematch with Scottish rival Kash Farooq is now set for early 2022, with McGregor having signed a co-promotion deal with Probellum and Eadie Hearn’s Matchroom.
The pair took part in an epic at the Emirates in 2019, with McGregor edging it on a close points call.
But he’s warned Farooq he will be a far tougher prospect second time around.
The 24-year-old said: “I’m fully focused on Abgaryan and defending my European title in style.
“I want to put out a statement, send out a message to the rest of the bantamweights, and then we’ll see what’s what after that. But it’s no secret that the Farooq rematch is looking likely in 2022 if we both come through our next fights.
“It’s one that gets me so excited and gets me up in the morning pushing through those hard training sessions. I can’t wait for it and I wish it was on December 18. I’m a much better fighter than I was back then, I believe he’s a better fighter too.
“I’ve learned so much – it’s crazy how much I’ve improved. I can confidently say I’m in the best place I’ve ever been.”