van Heerden and McGregor (right) (photo via Twitter / @TheHeat001

By FCF Staff

Recently Chris van Heerden sparred with Conor McGregor, and the former IBO champ says the sessions demonstrated who is the pro-boxer, and who is not.

Earlier this month, footage of van Heerden and McGregor sparring quickly made the rounds on the internet. The fighters also praised one another on social media after the sessions.

Recently van Heerden appeared on Submission Radio, and here is some of what the South African boxer had to say about sparring McGregor (quote via Bloody Elbow.com):

“Well the footage that leaked out – I only afterwards found out, I saw it was all over the internet. I was like, how did this get out? Cause I had no idea that this footage was taken with the sense of getting it out there. So people have got to understand, sparring is sparring. We’re not in there to kill each other. And then again, I just came off a one-month holiday (and went) back in the gym. (It was the) first time I laced up gloves.”

“And I’ve got footage on my phone that would probably shock everyone, but I was happy. I was happy because I knew I was in control every round and I was happy with what I wanted to feel.”

“…I’ve got sparring footage where you can clearly see I’m the professional boxer and not Conor.”

Van Heerden also relayed, however, that he was very impressed with McGregor’s boxing abilities, and that if the UFC star focused just on his boxing for several months he could “shock a lot of boxers”.