The main fight of the year
The fight between Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGergor was immediately called the main fight of the year after it was announced. The rivals agreed on a meeting, a duel between whom just a few years ago would have been difficult to imagine. The famous American boxer met with the strongest mixed martial arts fighter in the world.
The idea for this fight did not come out of nowhere. Thus, the organizers of the fight realized the desire of millions of martial arts fans to finally find out which sport is stronger - boxers, mixed fighters.
Incredible income
The decisive factor was the opportunity to earn huge money. The Mayweather-McGregor fight became the most expensive in the history of boxing and brought those who arranged it $600 million. The opponents' fees also turned out to be incredible. Mayweather received $100 million for this fight, and McGregor $30 million. And this is only a guaranteed reward, because the American and Irishman will also receive royalties from the paid broadcast, which was purchased by 3 million viewers on the American TV channel Showtime.
Who was the favorite
Mayweather was considered the favorite for this fight, because the fight took place according to boxing rules in the junior middleweight (up to 69.85 kg) and was McGregor’s debut in this sport. Representatives of the boxing world perceived the very fact of holding this fight with hostility, accusing the organizers of deceiving fans and making money for a fight with a predetermined result. However, critics were ashamed, because the fight ended up being competitive and did not disappoint the fans.
Read also: McGregor-Mayweather . Will an MMA fighter be able to extract $600 million from a boxer?
This happened thanks to Conor McGregor, who prepared very well for the confrontation with Mayweather. The Irishman successfully used his superiority in arm span and chose the jab as his main weapon, with which he hit his opponent well several times. In addition, McGregor constantly changed his stance from left to right, which rather puzzled the American, who for a long time could not adapt to his opponent’s style.
What surprised McGregor
The Irishman also hit Mayweather several times with direct and side blows, carried out an uppercut and was in the lead on points. McGregor won the first three rounds without question, and then did not yield to Mayweather until the middle of the fight.
Read also: Floyd Mayweather. How a boxer from a gangster ghetto became the richest athlete in the world
The Irishman also resorted to cunning and hit Mayweather in the back of the head several times, for which he even received a reprimand from the referee. The Irishman also tried to put psychological pressure on his opponent - he lowered his hands, put them behind his back and smiled defiantly.
However, the American did not remain in debt either, who several times got out of a difficult situation by simply turning his back to him and forcing the judge to stop the fight.
What did Mayweather oppose?
Mayweather certainly felt that he was inferior and did everything to improve the situation. Starting from the seventh round, the American sharply added. He finally turned on his incredible speed and began working combinations, alternating between various blows to the body and head.
Read also: Conor McGregor. How a charismatic plumber became the world's richest fighter
At the same time, McGregor began to decline physically and looked exhausted. Which is not surprising, because in mixed martial arts a fight lasts a maximum of 25 minutes, but opponents rarely go that distance. While the boxers are ready for all 12 rounds lasting 36 minutes.
How the American won
It finally became clear that Mayweather would win in the 9th round. The American threw punches for every taste, and McGregor took all the opponent’s attacks upon himself, unable to dodge them. He miraculously held out until the gong, but this was only a temporary salvation.
On August 27, a fight between 12-time world champion American Floyd Mayweather Jr. and current UFC lightweight champion Irishman Conor McGregor will take place in Las Vegas. The fight will take place in the first middleweight category. Both athletes will use eight-ounce gloves as an exception. Forecast for Floyd Mayweather - Conor McGregor.
Floyd Mayweather
Few people believed that Floyd Mayweather will be one step away from the record, having a record of 49-0 after defeating Andre Berto.
And so it happened. After a two-year break, the undefeated “The Money” returned for a superfight with Irish UFC champion Conor McGregor, for whom this fight will be the first in his career.Mayweather has already confirmed that the fight with McGregor will be his last in his career. Considering how much Floyd will receive in royalties (over $300 million), this decision seems justified. However, who can say what will happen if an American receives an offer for half a billion a year later?
Mayweather, despite his age (he turned 40 in February), is considered the clear favorite of the upcoming fight according to numerous experts and current boxers. Thus, WBO super welterweight world champion Jeff Horn and IBF/WBA/WBO light heavyweight belt holder Andre Ward are confident that the “handsome guy” will simply destroy his opponent. The same opinion is shared by former world welterweight champion Paul Malignaggi, who recently left the training camp with a scandal American rival. According to Malignaggi, McGregor doesn’t stand a chance against the American.
Conor McGregor
Conor McGregor, whose popularity was off the charts even before the news of the fight with Mayweather, apparently decided to enter the ring for the same reasons as his opponent - money and popularity. Both Conor and Floyd know how to put on a show, and that's what they're doing now.
At the same time, the Irishman, who is not undefeated even in his sport, is not embarrassed by the opinions of experts and the credentials of his opponent. Moreover, in his numerous interviews, he claims that he will defeat the American in the first round.
In fact, activity should be the trump card of the Irishman, whose boxing talents many have serious doubts about. 29-year-old McGregor will probably move forward actively from the first minutes and try to knock out his opponent. This, frankly speaking, is not an easy task. She did not submit to Oscar De La Hoya, Shane Mosley, Miguel Cotto, Manny Pacquiao, or many other boxing stars with enormous experience.
What can we say about the guy for whom this fight will be his debut?
Forecast
Bookmakers favor Mayweather. You can bet on the American to win with odds of 1.24. The possible success of the Irishman is estimated at 4.55.
Considering that there is a lot of money at stake, and not sporting interest, we would venture to assume that the show in the ring will last more than 7 rounds - TB 7.5 behind 1,81 .
Floyd, who is perhaps the best defender in boxing, is unlikely to act as number one. First of all, we expect an excellent tactical battle from the American and we bet on him victory on points behind 3,50 .
LastRound. rusums up the new battle of the century.
No miracle happened. Mayweather defeated McGregor in another fight of the century, simultaneously killing not just two, but all possible birds with one stone.
A perfect record of 50-0, a guaranteed $100 million (about $300 if all went well), repaying the fans for the fight with Pacquiao and a bright end to his career with his first early victory since 2011.
Before the fight, Mayweather promised that he would go forward and put on a spectacular show, which we didn’t really believe. Floyd never tried to care about the spectacle and please the public, so why would he suddenly change in his fifth decade in his last fight? As it turns out, Mayweather wasn't lying.
It’s difficult to say exactly when the American felt that the fight was in his hands. After the 4th round, McGregor began to slow down, which a fighter of Mayweather’s level could not help but notice. Floyd’s former opponent Andre Berto is very interesting about the boxer’s amazing attention to detail:
“Floyd knows very well what’s going on in the ring, he’s almost obsessive about it. He feels every position, every movement in the ring, he looks at the clock 3-4 times per round to control the time, and between rounds he looks at his opponent to see how hard he is breathing.”
To Mayweather's credit, sensing the change in his opponent's condition, he immediately moved forward. Floyd gave one of the most attacking fights since his meeting with Oscar De La Hoya, and here he needs to thank McGregor, who practically did not throw any power punches.
Before the fight with Conor, Mayweather said that he was ready to resume his career only for the right “dance partner.” From this point of view, McGregor was the ideal and safest option for the largest payday. A debutant with poor functional readiness for a check of 100 million - this story really claims to be included in the lectures of any economic universities. The “right dance partner” was chosen correctly, as always. Oscar De La Hoya, Shane Mosley, Miguel Cotto and Manny Pacquiao had already passed their peak at the time of the fight with Mayweather, Saul Alvarez was too young, Juan Manuel Marquez was too small. Floyd made no mistake with his choice this time either.
The right partner did everything as the director intended - he was dangerous at the beginning of the fight and noticeably lost after each new round.
It looked unusual - Floyd, the current number one, swings the pendulum and goes on the attack again and again, neglecting his signature defense. Mayweather defended little, used virtually no shoulder protection, and stayed on his feet for an inordinate amount of time. At the beginning of the fight, it seemed that age was getting to Floyd faster than he expected, but with each round it became clear that Mayweather was still in perfect health. This kind of Floyd might not be enough for Terence Crawford, the seasoned Saul Alvarez or Keith Thurman. But this Floyd was more than enough for Conor McGregor.
In the end, Mayweather accomplished a certain point of honor. Throughout his career, he simply led the audience by the nose and sold his fights to people who, time after time, wanted to see him fall. Floyd was the best boxer of our time, but he never received the love he deserved. He was booed before the fights with Pacquiao and McGregor in his native Las Vegas, several thousand people chanted “Fuck Mayweather” at two of the four press conferences before the fight with Conor. Mayweather just smiled back and talked about money, but a man with such ambitions and ego could not help but hurt. In his last fight, Floyd broke his rules and did his best for all those who called him boring. The American missed unnecessary blows, but went for an early victory. In the tenth round, after a protracted attack, Mayweather achieved his goal. However, as always.
The amazing journey of one of the best and definitely the most agile fighter of our time ended in the most spectacular way. The Mayweather story is the story of a boxing innovator. Never before has a boxer been able to go so far beyond the boundaries of the sport, managing promoters, rivals and any processes. Floyd became the boss of the game, showing others that a boxer is not necessarily a puppet in the hands of promoters. It is difficult to say how soon a figure of such magnitude will appear in boxing, but today a bright point was set in an ideal boxing career. “God doesn't make mistakes. There's only one thing he made perfect - my boxing record." It seems that this could include the last fight in the boxer’s ideal career.
Conor McGregor lost the fight and received a boxing record of 0-1, but won before entering the ring. The very fact of this fight and where the Irishman ended up is his victory. 10 years ago, the 19-year-old Irish boy watched Mayweather defeat Oscar De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton to become the biggest star in combat sports. 10 years later, the young man will share the ring with Mayweather, being in the status of the main MMA star.
McGregor initially had nothing to lose from this fight. It's not a shame to lose to one of the best in history, it's a shame to accuse the Irishman of lack of courage. No one will take away from McGregor at least one round won in the fight with Floyd Mayweather. One judge even gave the first 3 rounds to the Irishman. Conor took risks and lost. He talked more than he managed to do, but he took the blow and left the ring on his feet without being on the floor. McGregor was not crushed or seriously injured, earning more in less than 10 rounds than in his entire life.
Conor represented MMA with honor and went 10 rounds with a man from another sport. Usain Bolt will not be able to run a marathon, and Evgeni Plushenko will not lift the Stanley Cup. Old stamina issues made the fight a little less interesting than it could have been. But weren't the first 3 rounds really intriguing?
McGregor won in the eyes of the audience and colleagues. Right now, MMA fighters' social networks are bursting with congratulations and compliments for the first person from the UFC to step into another sport at the highest level. The Irishman made history and changed it. Thanks to Notorious, UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic challenges Anthony Joshua, Jimi Manuwa promises to knock out David Haye, Jose Aldo trains with Robert Garcia, and Adrien Broner admits the possibility of a fight with Nate Diaz.
READ WITH US:
Unlike the last fight of the century, today's fight does not leave any unpleasant aftertaste. The show was a success, the boxing match was not too competitive, but after the credits there is a slight satisfaction from what happened and respect for all the characters. An ideal fight with an ideal outcome for everyone - perhaps this only happens once in a lifetime.
It's funny, but to some extent we have seen another generational change. Vladimir Klitschko was handing the heavyweight crown into the strong hands of Anthony Joshua, and a few months later Floyd Mayweather would fight Conor McGregor, allow him to earn a fortune and end his career, essentially making the Irishman a major star in the striking sport. Boxing, fight with Paul Malignaggi or Khabib Nurmagomedov in December? The Conor McGregor show continues.
Text: Bogdan Domansky
Undefeated, one of the best boxers of our time, Floyd Mayweather won a fight with UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor. The Irishman was unable to withstand the boxer for 12 rounds.
Multiple world champion Floyd Mayweather, the best boxer of the last 25 years, defeated MMA fighter Conor McGregor. The fight ended in the tenth round by technical knockout. Experienced Mayweather exhausted his opponent and defeated him without much effort.
Conor McGregor started the fight very actively. The fast and agile Irishman moved a lot and delivered a series of accurate blows. Mayweather was mostly defensive and very cautious.
By the sixth round, McGregor, not used to 12-round fights, was simply tired and noticeably lost ground, while Mayweather picked up the pace, delivered a series of blows to his opponent and won by technical knockout.
Floyd Mayweather won his final 50th fight in his career and retires from the sport undefeated.
At the end of the fight, the winner admitted that his opponent was much stronger than he thought.
“This was my last fight, of course. I chose the right dance partner. Conor McGregor, you are one hell of a champion,” Mayweather said after the fight.
“The fight of the century” is how journalists and fans dubbed this fight immediately after its announcement.
The fight between Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor created a lot of noise even before it started.
The peculiarity of this fight is that the Irishman McGregor, who had no experience in boxing, challenged Floyd Mayweather, the owner of 15 world titles, an undefeated boxer who defeated more than twenty current and former world champions.
UFC champion Conor McGregor has been seeking a fight against Mayweather for several months and agreed to all of his opponent’s conditions. The fight took place according to boxing rules.
For Conor McGregor, this fight is his boxing debut; the Irishman had only a few months to prepare for it. But the ambitious and daring McGregor seemed not at all worried about the clear advantage in the ring of the multiple world boxing champion.
According to experts and bookmakers, Floyd Mayweather was the undisputed favorite of the meeting. Moreover, the boxer himself promised his opponent a bonus of 30 thousand dollars if he simply withstood all 12 rounds against him.
Admittedly, McGregor's loss won't affect him much. For the Irishman, the meeting itself is an opportunity to once again remind himself and reach a new audience.
But the point, of course, is not only this; the fight of the century implies huge fees. Mayweather will receive $100 million for the fight, and McGregor will receive $30. These fees will also be supplemented by interest from ticket sales and broadcasts.
The cheapest ticket for the fight cost $1,500.
Loading...