Dubai: Connor McGregor may have no chance of beating Floyd Mayweather, but if the Irishman does land a lucky punch, it would be the greatest upset in sport, according to MMA and boxing experts here in the UAE.

Tam Khan, a Dubai-based British former MMA fighter-turned-trainer who runs his own TK MMA Fitness gym in Media City, said this Sunday’s historic match-up between McGregor, an MMA fighter, and Mayweather, a boxer, would be “embarrassingly easy” for the American pugilist.

“It’s like a rugby player taking on an NFL player or a third division footballer going one-on-one with Cristiano Ronaldo,” he said. “You see upsets in the FA Cup with fourth division sides beating Premier League clubs but this would be even worse.

“This would be the greatest upset in the history of any sport. I know the odds aren’t bad at the moment, but that’s purely because of the press cons, and the fact that no-one can compare with McGregor charisma-wise.

“In the ring it will be very different though, technically there’s no comparison. Mayweather is one of the best technical boxers in the history of boxing and by far the best defence and counter puncher. I can’t even see McGregor landing one clean punch.

“Mayweather will check him out for one or two rounds and then take over. Within eight rounds, I think the referee will stop it. If Mayweather wins on points he’s still lost it in my eyes, he has to stop him to really prove a point because if McGregor takes him the distance he’s won a moral victory.”

Deo Kizito, a Ugandan boxer and coach from Round 10 Boxing Club in Al Quoz and Jumeirah Lake Towers, agreed.

“Defeat would not only dent Mayweather’s career and legacy of going 50 unbeaten, but it would also be a massive setback for boxing,” he said in reference to the sport being overtaken by MMA in terms of popularity. “Mayweather has to win this to show everyone that boxing is still the best.”

Many are siding with underdog McGregor because he has more charisma than arrogant Mayweather, but Kizito says personality doesn’t come into it, and no part of him can support the Irishman.

“I can’t support McGregor because he doesn’t represent my sport, if boxing goes down because of him there’s no way I can support that. He’s MMA and that’s different, it’s not sport. Boxing has sportsmanship but those guys are animals.

“I may not like Mayweather as a person but as a boxer I love him

“McGregor grew up only using his fists 30 per cent of the time. Mayweather will outbox him. McGregor doesn’t have a chance and will be lucky if he reaches the sixth round, he won’t even get a headshot in.”

Either way Khan said McGregor had very little to lose.

“If he gets beaten he wasn’t the favourite anyway, so he’s always going to be seen as brave for stepping up.

“He won’t have the motivation to go back into MMA, fighting for a fraction of what he’s just earned from this fight, but he’s young, charismatic, and can go into Hollywood or modelling.

“If he wins I think he’ll stay in boxing, because can you imagine what he’ll make from a rematch or from fighting Manny Pacquiao? The options are crazy for him, he’s made for life. Either way I think this is the birth of a mega star.

“Whereas for Mayweather this is the end whatever. It’s an easy guaranteed way of reaching 50 unbeaten, breaking the record while earning millions, because he can’t beat the likes of Gennady Golovkin or Canelo Alvarez now, so this is the only fight left out there that he can win stress free, while earning lots of money.”