By Lyle Fitzsimmons

Kermit Cintron’s not mad at Floyd Mayweather.

Nor is he incensed at Conor McGregor.

In fact, unlike the crop of self-righteous boxing defenders who’ve emerged since last week, he’s got no real problem with those two making a boatload of cash for their Aug. 26 desert extravaganza.

What he does wish, however, is that he’d followed through on his own crossover ideas.

“I would have loved to get into mixed martial arts,” said Cintron, now 34, and a nearly decade past an 18-month reign as IBF welterweight champion. “At that time I was rising in the sport of boxing, but I would have crossed to MMA if the opportunity had come. I didn't know anyone in that sport so I never proceeded with it. Never looked into it as I should have, I guess. I think I would have done great.”

Cintron wrestled at William Tennent High School in suburban Philadelphia then at a junior college in nearby Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and didn’t actually take up amateur boxing until he was 19. He turned pro two weeks before his 21st birthday with a blowout of Jesse Williams and was a world title-holder by age 27 after routing Mark Suarez, winning the bauble Mayweather vacated after beating Zab Judah.

Ironically, his closest call with the UFC was connected to Mayweather as well, coming after the then-Pretty Boy turned down a chance to meet octagonal lightweight champion Sean Sherk.

Cintron said he offered to enter the cage against Sherk for $300,000 – the amount he’d be paid for a boxing title defense – but claimed neither Sherk nor Dana White took him up on the challenge.

He’d be happy to give it another shot these days, and would surely listen if White dialed his number.

kermit-cintron

“No regrets,” he said. “I know I would have done great at MMA just like I have in boxing.

“If it was a big name where I was making a good amount, I would do it now. I love fighting and I love the one-on-one competition. I would do it if they reached out.”

In the meantime, his expectation for the Mayweather-McGregor match mirrors most, based largely on what transpired when former women’s boxing champ Holly Holm took on then-UFC monster Ronda Rousey – a second-round stoppage for Holm that followed a mostly one-sided stand-up competition.

“For the longest time there's been this ‘a UFC fighter can beat a boxer’ idea, or something stupid like that,” Cintron said. “Holly Holm proved it and now Mayweather will prove it.”

As for his own boxing career, Cintron will try and prolong recent success Saturday night when he meets former middleweight prospect Tyrone Brunson atop a packed card at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia.

Cintron is 6-0-2 in eight fights against mixed competition since a TKO loss to Canelo Alvarez in 2011, while Brunson started his career 21-0-1 with 20 knockouts before going 3-6-1 in his last 10.

Between his win against Suarez and the loss to Alvarez, Cintron was 6-3-1, including two successful defenses, controversial losses to Antonio Margarito and Paul Williams and a draw with Sergio Martinez.

“I think I’m a better fighter (than before),” said Cintron, who has three children – aged 15, 10 and 9 – and runs a yoga studio with his wife, Maria. “Staying focused and having my kids around has helped me stay on track. It was really getting to me being away for training camps that I started losing focus. Looking back, when I had Emanuel Steward training me he made sure I saw my family during my camps. He knew I'm a family guy so he made sure they were around during my camps.” 

Cintron’s business, Bikram Yoga Lehigh Valley, includes a 1,500 square-foot space that he’s converted to a gym in which members and outsiders can take his circuit-training classes and dabble in boxing training.

“It's about 12 stations of different exercises for a certain time or certain amount of reps depending on what I put together for that hour’s class,” he said. “Nothing crazy such as training fighters. It’s more for those that want to have a good boxing workout.”

The real-life job helps him feel younger than most fighters in their mid-30s, too.

“I love boxing and with the lifestyle I've lived I can fight for another three years,” he said. “I take care of my body like an athlete should. I don't drink or smoke and I'm not out till sunrise chasing women. I'm home with my family. I'm always working on what was working for me when I was 24-0 with 22 KOs. I take care of myself, so age has no effect. I still feel like I'm in my 20s.”

Also helpful, Cintron said, has been a return to the team that helped him get started.

His former trainer, Marshall Kauffman, is now his full-time promoter, while former strength and conditioning coach Joe Pastore has been elevated to the full-time trainer’s role.

“I'm in it because I want to be a world champion again,” Cintron said. “After I beat Brunson I want bigger names. I'm not here as a part-time fighter. I've accomplished a lot in boxing but not enough for me to hang them up yet. My tank is still full and I know I can become a world champion again.”

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This week’s title-fight schedule:

No fights scheduled.

Last week's picks: 1-1 (WIN: Rigondeaux; LOSS: Kovalev)

2017 picks record: 44-16 (73.3 percent)

Overall picks record: 866-290 (74.9 percent)

NOTE: Fights previewed are only those involving a sanctioning body's full-fledged title-holder – no interim, diamond, silver, etc. Fights for WBA "world championships" are only included if no "super champion" exists in the weight class.

Lyle Fitzsimmons has covered professional boxing since 1995 and written a weekly column for Boxing Scene since 2008. He is a full voting member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Reach him at fitzbitz@msn.com or follow him on Twitter – @fitzbitz.