LAS VEGAS - Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez has scorned Conor McGregor’s claim that he made Floyd Mayweather "fight like a Mexican" in their Las Vegas super-fight last weekend.
Following his tenth round defeat, the Irish UFC star claimed that he took pride in how he had forced Mayweather to go on the offensive in the later rounds, rather than relying on his trademark defensive style.
“I turned him into a Mexican tonight; he fought like a Mexican,” McGregor said shortly after the stoppage.
The comment was intended as a compliment – with McGregor praising Mayweather’s attacking instincts – but Canelo said that he saw nothing which resembled a “Mexican style” in the veteran’s tactical approach to the fight.
“He did what he wanted in the fight,” said Canelo, who is originally from the Mexican city of Guadalajara. “I think Mayweather did what he had to do, go forward because he knew he was going to knock [McGregor] out and that's what he did.
"But no, I saw no Mexican style in there. Mexican boxing does not have a style in itself, Mexican boxing has different styles.”
Canelo is currently preparing to challenge Gennady Golovkin for his IBF, IBO, WBA and WBC middleweight belts, in a fight that will headline an HBO pay-per-view event.
Golden Boy Promotions have worked hard to advertise the fight as a contest boxing fans "can be proud of", after the controversial Mayweather vs McGregor clash, and Canelo has once again promised that he will deliver “a real fight”.
“This fight is for real... two boxers, an authentic fight, one that people have waited on for a long time. The other was more a show,” he added.
“The fans are going to see a great fight, a natural fight, it's going to be a great fight because of the styles. I'm going to give my best, I hope GGG gets the best out of me to have a great fight.”