Conor McGregor
Nov 12, 2016; New York, NY, USA; Conor McGregor (blue gloves) celebrates after defeating Eddie Alvarez (red gloves) in their lightweight title bout during UFC 205 at Madison Square Garden. USA TODAY Sports/Adam Hunger

Conor McGregor will step inside a boxing ring for the first time in his professional career when he squares off against Floyd Mayweather Jr. at some point in the near future. Despite his lack of experience, the Irishman believes his mastery over mixed martial arts gives him the edge since MMA focuses on various combat sports disciplines including boxing.

In fact, McGregor's boxing skills have often come handy during his 21-3 MMA record which includes three victories by knockout. McGregor, currently on a lengthy break from the octagon to await the birth of his first child with partner Dee Devlin, has been preparing for the crossover mega fight with his head striking coach Owen Roddy. Earlier this week, McGregor boasted about his boxing skills in a lengthy Instagram post (see below) in which he claimed that MMA fighters are ahead of boxers in the pecking order of combat sports.

“Myself and (Owen Roddy) have been working together on unrestricted, unarmed fighting, since we are kids. Not much will change when I fight under the famed, yet very limited, Queensberry rules (boxing rules),” wrote McGregor before adding that he hasn't lost his passion for MMA despite the temporary move to boxing.

Conor McGregor feels MMA fighters can dominate boxers

“No disrespect to single discipline fighters, from boxing to kicking to grappling, just know that understanding one style of fighting is simply not enough. You are lying to yourself. You are easily dismantled in a true fight. A fight with no rules to protect you. In a straight fight, you do not posses (sic) enough tools to keep you alive. You will be dismantled and killed.”

McGregor ended the post with quote from the late great Bruce Lee. "Like the late, great Bruce Lee once said, when you are talking about fighting, as it is, with no rules, well then baby, you’d better train every part of your body.”

Last month, UFC president Dana White announced that Mcregor would defend his The UFC Lightweight Championship against the winner of the Khabib Nurmagomedov vs Tony Ferguson fight scheduled at UFC 209 on March 4 in Las Vegas, Nevada. According to several reports, the Conor McGregor vs Floyd Mayweather superight would likely take place in September. McGregor is likely to step into the octagon once before his date with Mayweather.