Floyd Mayweather vs Conor McGregor: Preview and Predictions

The boxing fraternity is getting ready for the first billion-dollar fight, as Floyd Mayweather takes on Conor McGregor on August 26. The fight takes place at Las Vegas, and it is expected to gross more than $1 billion in revenue – the highest in the history of the sport. Both fighters come into the arena with impeccable reputation – Mayweather as the undefeated boxing champion and McGregor as the two-weight UFC world champion.

Tale of the Tapes

Mayweather comes into the fight with an astonishing record of 49-0. The 40-year-old boxer is widely regarded as one of the greatest the sport has ever seen. He has been through 387 rounds and has produced 26 knockouts in his career.

Conor McGregor does not have boxing experience, but he comes into the fight with a stellar UFC record of 9-1. His professional record stands at 24-3. McGregor is feared inside the cage so much so that he is nicknamed as ‘notorious’. His UFC Featherweight Champion title came after a 13 second win over José Aldo, while his UFC Lightweight Championship belt came following a knockout win over Eddie Alvarez.

Preparing for the Fight

Mayweather has been brought down to the canvas once in his career, but it was back in 2001 against Carlos Hernandez. At the moment, Floyd ‘money’ Mayweather stands on par with Rocky Marciano in terms of the records. A win from this fight will not only put Mayweather at 50-0 but also one better than Marciano.

The biggest advantage for Mayweather is that the fight will be played on the rules of boxing and not as per UFC. Hence, the fight will be in the ring as opposed to a cage. It gives Mayweather the ability to set the pace of the fight. Despite matching Marciano’s record in terms of wins, Mayweather trails the great quite significantly in terms of KOs. Mayweather happens to be one of the best defensive boxers around. Even though he is preparing for his biggest ever fight – at least in terms of revenue, Mayweather appears to be taking it lightly. The 40-year-old has been trying to once again showcase his extravagant lifestyle and promote his business interests – at least on his social media accounts.

McGregor’s preparations have been progressing in on an entirely different path, as Betway Insider has found. Research by Betway Insider shows that McGregor has been talking about the fight in 55% of his Instagram posts and a staggering 34% of his posts have been about his training for the fight. In the past, McGregor has also not been shy about posting his extravagant lifestyle on Instagram, but there has been a sea change since the fight was announced.

The Mind-Boggling Numbers

The fight is being promoted by Mayweather promotions. It is expected that the price of each pay-per-view option is likely to be around $100. The PPV buys alone is expected to bring a revenue of close to $500 million. Keeping in with his usual tradition, Mayweather has been boasting that he stands to make $300 million in 36 minutes – far higher than what Premier League earn is. According to conservative estimates, the American is expected to make around $100 million from this fight while McGregor stands to make around $75 million.

Who Is Likely to Win the Fight?

The widespread consensus is in favour of Mayweather, who not only has the fight in Las Vegas but he also happens to be fighting in the ring rather than in a cage. The rules will aid Mayweather, and it is not a surprising to see him placed at 1.28 for a win in the latest odds on August 19th. Mayweather is unlikely to be taking the fight easily, as it puts his legacy and record on the line.

McGregor is placed at a distant 3.75, and this could be a good price due to reasons like Mayweather’s age and his lack of action in the last two years. At 40 years of age, Mayweather is unlikely to have the same kind of agility like McGregor, who can cover plenty of distance due to his UFC techniques and age. At 26 years of age, McGregor is likely to have sharper reflexes too. Mayweather’s last fight was in 2015 when he came up against Andre Berto. The fight came just a few months after his highly publicised fight with Manny Pacquiao.

Incidentally, the last three victories for Mayweather has been through a unanimous decision. McGregor is likely to be aware of this fact, and will not be keen to provide an early advantage.

Verdict

The opening three rounds of the fight will be extremely crucial. If McGregor allows Mayweather to set the pace of the fight, then there would be just one winner, as the American is extremely good at this side of the game. McGregor has to get going from the word go, and this means taking a sizeable advantage or making a statement in the opening three rounds. Yet, even the best from McGregor may not be enough to overcome one of the greatest boxers of all-time.