Is Fergie better in a pure striking match than Conor is? Which fighter is better at kicking and defending against kicks and strikes also?
Honestly that's a tough call. Conor is definitely prettier to look at when he's striking, and his speed and power are more eye-catching. But Tony has sort of a Kelly Pavlik quality to him, where, as he starts to land his starts, the other guys' face starts to fall apart in horror movie fashion even though the punches don't look devastating. So its hard to say who has better offensive boxing, although Conor's defense is better. But Conor has better leg kicks, and he's very slick with his front kick to the stomach. And Tony clearly puts his elbows to better use.
I think to answer this question you need to consider all aspects of striking which also include your ability to absorb punishment and recover from adversity. Conor is just a front runner with questionable heart/resilience. Gas tank ? What gas tank. LOL. whereas TFerg is an absolute warrior who is willing to go to hell and back. In a fight with just stand up techniques in a 5 rd fight I firmly believe that Tferg would still stop Conor.
Worrying thing for Ferg is the way he holds his chin up which is an easy target for Conor's power shot, and only so many of them can be taken no matter how tough you are.
I disagree Fergie would just keep coming and punching, Conor can`t handle constant pressure Nate and Floyd proved that.
