Conor McGregor has been compared to Manchester United striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic – by the Swede himself.

The Irishman makes his boxing debut in a megafight with Floyd Mayweather in Las Vegas on Sunday (07:00 UAE time) and taekwondo black belt and MMA fan Ibrahimovic has backed McGregor to shock the world.

The striker recently agreed a new one-year deal to stay at Old Trafford having been initially released following a serious knee injury.

• Comment: Reputations on the line in Las Vegas and not just that of Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor’s

• Stats: How Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor compare ahead of super fight

• News: UFC stars share their predictions for Mayweather vs McGregor

Speaking about the fight to Sport Bible, the 35-year-old said: “Here you have a guy that has made a career out of many years and that is Mayweather.

“And then you have the other guy that has made a career in a short time, but he made himself a big name.

“Me as a huge fan of the MMA, I see this fight. I don’t know. It can go both ways. Either what people predict that Mayweather will win easy, which I don’t believe.

“Conor has a power he can knock you out from every angle. And he has a confidence, like me.

“He is the Ibrahimovic of martial arts and I’m McGregor of the football world.

“So I see him with his confidence. He will win. Because he believes in himself so much and like I say, in everything you do the mental part is 50 percent.

“If you have the mental, the head, you can do it and achieve. And then at the same time he’s skillful, he is the one he is. So I believe in Conor!”