The deficit gap in experience is just one of the challenges Conor McGregor will have to overcome when he gets into the ring with Floyd Mayweather on Saturday night.
But even if he's never fought professionally, of course McGregor isn't a complete novice when it comes to boxing, having learned the fundamentals as a teenager in Crumlin and intermittently since.
Paschal 'Packie' Collins, who has coached McGregor at his Celtic Warrior Gym, has a good idea of where the Dubliner is at as a boxer.
Collins and former WBO Middleweight champion Andy Lee joined us on Off The Ball to break down McGregor's strengths and weaknesses as a boxer.
You can listen to the full chat on the podcast player or stream/download on iTunes:
Collins believes Mayweather will win but that McGregor can't be definitively ruled out. And he also talked about McGregor's technique, having seen him at close quarters.
"The first time I saw Conor was probably five years before he even became a household name in UFC. He walked into my gym, I didn't know the kid. Somebody said there's this guy coming up to do a bit of sparring," he recalled.
"When he walked into the gym, straight away there was something about him. There's an air of confidence about him. He wasn't cocky. What comes across on TV is just show."
Collins remembers McGregor holding his own in that initial session and went on to assess his fundamentals.
"His boxing ability is quite good and it has got better. The last time he was in my gym was for the rematch with Diaz. I worked the pads with him and we worked on his movement. I actually pointed out that I thought he was moving the wrong way in that fight. He was throwing kicks and his opponent kept moving away from them shots and I gave him my insight, so we worked on moving the other way," he said, adding that McGregor has got the "boxing basics and he's quite good", describing him as a "professional boxer who doesn't box".
McGregor's approach against Mayweather may well turn out to be highly unorthodox given his lack of pro boxing experience.
"If he tries to box like a boxer, he's got zero chance against the best boxer of this era. But if he goes out and fights like he normally does when he comes to my gym - he uses certain moves that are all within the rules and it's awkward and it would take time to figure it out - so if he goes out and fights the way he normally fights, I think he's got a better chance," said Collins.
He also feels conditioning won't be an issue for the 27 year old, who is at the peak of his MMA career.
"What Conor would have over most novice fighters and most amateur fighters, he's conditioned to be in there for 10 or five-five rounds to take grueling punches with them little mixed-martial arts gloves," he said.
"That's condition he has got which he's going to need with Floyd Mayweather. Now, as far as a boxing match is concerned, Floyd Mayweather will win but I still believe Conor has a chance if he can take these shots, come back with his own shots."
"I can see him going 12 rounds" - Andy Lee casts an expert eye over Conor McGregor vs Floyd Mayweather
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