Tag: Mayweather vs McGregor Fight

Mayweather vs. McGregor: Weigh-In Info, Fight Schedule and Predictions

The wait for the biggest fight in combat sports history is almost over.
Conor McGregor, for the first time in his career, will enter the boxing ring as a professional against Floyd Mayweather Jr., one of the greatest boxers the sport has ever know…

The wait for the biggest fight in combat sports history is almost over.

Conor McGregor, for the first time in his career, will enter the boxing ring as a professional against Floyd Mayweather Jr., one of the greatest boxers the sport has ever known, Saturday at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Call it a mismatch, a money grab, a spectacle—it doesn’t matter. This fight has grabbed the attention and imagination of two worlds: boxing and mixed martial arts. Both fighters are loud and arrogant, but we just can’t get enough of the two of them.

History will be made on Saturday in every way, and not just in terms of pay-per-view sales. There are two questions surrounding this fight that will be answered sooner rather than later. One, how seriously is Mayweather taking his training and this fight? And two, can McGregor do the impossible?

The Irishman has a puncher’s chance, but before then they’ll face off at the weigh-ins on Friday. 

       

Weigh-in info

Where: T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas

Time: 4:30 p.m. ET

Tickets: Complimentary tickets available at ticketmaster.com

       

Fight card schedule, odds (courtesy of OddsShark)

Floyd Mayweather (-400) vs. Conor McGregor (+300) Super welterweight

Badou Jack (-350) Nathan Cleverly (+285), light heavyweight

Gervonta Davis (-3000) Francisco Fonseca (+1700), junior lightweight

Andrew Tabiti (-270) vs. Steve Cunningham (+230), cruiserweight

      

Prediction

There’s no way McGregor comes out as the loser in this fight, regardless of whether he can actually beat Mayweather in a boxing match. The amount of money he will make from this fight will ensure financial security for the rest of his life, win or lose. But money isn’t what motivates McGregor anymore. 

It’s about proving everyone wrong.

McGregor has already said that Mayweather’s head will bounce off the canvas within four rounds, and that was before the Nevada State Athletic Commission granted the joint request to fight in eight-ounce gloves instead of 10-ounce ones.

With the new glove size, McGregor finds it hard to imagine that Mayweather will even survive two rounds.

As crazy as that may sound, McGregor does have a point in the sense that if he connects a clean left hand against Mayweather, he could hit the canvas like a rock. But you can say that about any fighter Mayweather has faced in his career. For example, isn’t that what everyone said when he fought Canelo Alvarez a few years ago?

Mayweather is 40, coming out of a two-year retirement and could use the money. McGregor won’t box the way Mayweather has grown accustomed to over the years against his opponents.

Mayweather has said he will knock McGregor out and told ESPN‘s Stephen A. Smith that he “has to go to him,” but when has he ever pressed? Ireland’s MMA godfather and head coach for Team McGregor, John Kavanagh, told Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour Monday that if Mayweather really does charge forward, he’ll be knocked out flat in a minute. 

However, he believes Mayweather won’t charge forward and will instead box defensively, resulting in a sixth-round KO victory for McGregor. 

Mayweather will not be knocked out in a minute, but he should be in for a war on Saturday, one which will end with McGregor getting his hand raised after knocking out Mayweather in the fifth round via a left hook. 

The history books will be rewritten, and McGregor will become the true face of the fight game. 

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Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor: Fight Time, Projected Winner and Vegas Odds

Floyd Mayweather Jr. will justify his status as heavy favourite among the oddsmakers when he meets Conor McGregor at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Saturday, August 26.
Mayweather is favoured to win at -400 (bet $400 to win $100), while th…

Floyd Mayweather Jr. will justify his status as heavy favourite among the oddsmakers when he meets Conor McGregor at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Saturday, August 26.

Mayweather is favoured to win at -400 (bet $400 to win $100), while the odds for a McGregor win are +300 (bet $100 to win $300), according to Joe Osborne of OddsShark.

The headline fight is set to start at 11 p.m. ET/4 a.m. BST, although the actual bell may not sound for the bout until closer to 5 a.m. BST, according to the Daily Telegraph.

Mayweather isn’t just the projected winner among the oddsmakers. Several fighters, both from the boxing and mixed martial arts disciplines, believe the 40-year-old will overwhelm UFC star McGregor.

Among them, former IBO Welterweight champion Chris van Heerden, who sparred with McGregor, doesn’t rate the Irishman’s chances. Specifically, Van Heerden believes Mayweather’s punching power will prove too much for McGregor, per an interview with Fight Hub TV (h/t Luke Brown of The Independent): “We’ve seen over and over and over it doesn’t take much for these MMA fighters, once they get tagged on the jaw, to go down.”

Significantly, Van Heerden also pinpointed the training in combination punching boxers experience as a clear advantage for Mayweather. It’s a strong argument because it speaks to the main difference between both fighters.

Mayweather boasts a wealth of experience in the ring that McGregor cannot match. The former’s hand speed, timing and anticipation will help control the pace and keep McGregor at bay and prone to some telling shots.

Of course, McGregor has proved his ability to land big punches of his own during his career in the Octagon. ESPN.com’s Dan Rafael and Brett Okamoto both give southpaw McGregor the advantage as the bigger puncher. Yet many of his other skills from the world of UFC will likely be wasted in the boxing ring.

It’s the view of Michael Page, a mixed martial artist who is trying to make the switch to boxing. Page recently told James Edwards of The Independent why he’s found the transition so challenging: “Because I punch anyway, I have good technique, but we don’t have as much specific work on our arms and our shoulders. The struggle for me is the endurance, the muscular endurance and being able to be able to do it for such a long period of time.”

Page’s point is one more reason why McGregor will flounder if Mayweather is content to drag this fight out. Given the latter’s excellent defensive work and the patience to pick his shots, McGregor’s stamina could well be tested.

In fact, the odds are -140 for Mayweather to win in over seven rounds, per Justin Hartling of OddsShark.

Frankly, it would be a surprise if the fight lasts even that long, given the disparity in boxing experience and skill between the two fighters. Instead, Mayweather should score a knockout stoppage sooner.

Prediction: Mayweather by KO in Round 4.

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Mayweather vs. McGregor Odds: Predictions Based on Vegas Lines

Floyd Mayweather Jr. is the 1-4 favourite to win his clash with Conor McGregor when they meet on Saturday at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
The Notorious’ odds have shortened considerably since betting opened, though, moving from 19-2 to 3-1, per Odd…

Floyd Mayweather Jr. is the 1-4 favourite to win his clash with Conor McGregor when they meet on Saturday at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

The Notorious’ odds have shortened considerably since betting opened, though, moving from 19-2 to 3-1, per OddsShark.

Money has perhaps contributed to that with comments to ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith that “on paper” McGregor has the edge owing to his advantages of being larger and significantly younger, with Mayweather admitting to having “lost a step” in his later years.

Meanwhile, McGregor has been typically self-confident in the build-up to the bout:

The Irishman also believes the decision to allow the pair to fight with eight-ounce gloves works in his favour and will lead to an early knockout victory, per MMAFighting.com:

Indeed, they are closer to the four-ounce gloves he’s used to using in the UFC, and that could enhance his ability to land more significant strikes on Mayweather.

The American is still more heavily favoured to win via knockout at 77-100 compared to 13-4, but the UFC lightweight champion has the edge with odds of 14-1 for a stunning first-round victory.

By comparison, Mayweather is only 16-1 for the same result.

The 40-year-old has only knocked out one fighter since stopping Ricky Hatton in 2007, and the foundation of his 49-0 record is his defensive prowess rather than his aggression, so it seems unlikely he’ll win in the opening round.

ESPN’s Dan Rafael believes the lighter gloves play into Mayweather’s hands, however:

He used them in 46 of his 49 fights, so he’ll be at ease. With his notoriously accurate punching, he’ll likely be able to land blows on the inexperienced McGregor comfortably, and that should help him to a decision win.

Money is 5-2 to win in that fashion, while McGregor is 5-1. 

It wouldn’t be too surprising if the fight went the distance given Mayweather’s lack of knockout power, but it’s only likely to go his way if it does.

McGregor’s experience in the Octagon will mean relatively little when he steps into the ring with the American, whose legendary skills helped him equal Rocky Marciano’s unbeaten record. Those skills should serve him well again on Saturday.

Prediction: Mayweather wins by unanimous decision

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Mayweather vs. McGregor Odds: Predictions Based on Vegas Lines

Floyd Mayweather Jr. is the 1-4 favourite to win his clash with Conor McGregor when they meet on Saturday at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
The Notorious’ odds have shortened considerably since betting opened, though, moving from 19-2 to 3-1, per Odd…

Floyd Mayweather Jr. is the 1-4 favourite to win his clash with Conor McGregor when they meet on Saturday at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

The Notorious’ odds have shortened considerably since betting opened, though, moving from 19-2 to 3-1, per OddsShark.

Money has perhaps contributed to that with comments to ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith that “on paper” McGregor has the edge owing to his advantages of being larger and significantly younger, with Mayweather admitting to having “lost a step” in his later years.

Meanwhile, McGregor has been typically self-confident in the build-up to the bout:

The Irishman also believes the decision to allow the pair to fight with eight-ounce gloves works in his favour and will lead to an early knockout victory, per MMAFighting.com:

Indeed, they are closer to the four-ounce gloves he’s used to using in the UFC, and that could enhance his ability to land more significant strikes on Mayweather.

The American is still more heavily favoured to win via knockout at 77-100 compared to 13-4, but the UFC lightweight champion has the edge with odds of 14-1 for a stunning first-round victory.

By comparison, Mayweather is only 16-1 for the same result.

The 40-year-old has only knocked out one fighter since stopping Ricky Hatton in 2007, and the foundation of his 49-0 record is his defensive prowess rather than his aggression, so it seems unlikely he’ll win in the opening round.

ESPN’s Dan Rafael believes the lighter gloves play into Mayweather’s hands, however:

He used them in 46 of his 49 fights, so he’ll be at ease. With his notoriously accurate punching, he’ll likely be able to land blows on the inexperienced McGregor comfortably, and that should help him to a decision win.

Money is 5-2 to win in that fashion, while McGregor is 5-1. 

It wouldn’t be too surprising if the fight went the distance given Mayweather’s lack of knockout power, but it’s only likely to go his way if it does.

McGregor’s experience in the Octagon will mean relatively little when he steps into the ring with the American, whose legendary skills helped him equal Rocky Marciano’s unbeaten record. Those skills should serve him well again on Saturday.

Prediction: Mayweather wins by unanimous decision

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Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor Reportedly Set to Break All Gambling Records

Conor McGregor’s much-anticipated matchup against Floyd Mayweather Jr. on Saturday, August 26 is reportedly on course to “break all records” for bets on boxing in the United Kingdom.
According to Daniel Matthews of MailOnline, the value of stakes place…

Conor McGregor’s much-anticipated matchup against Floyd Mayweather Jr. on Saturday, August 26 is reportedly on course to “break all records” for bets on boxing in the United Kingdom.

According to Daniel Matthews of MailOnline, the value of stakes placed on the boxing bout will “easily reach” between £200 million and £300 million in high-street bookmaker bets.

Betfair spokesman Barry Orr talked up the fight’s potential to beat all records that came before and said:

“It’s absolutely mind-blowing. It seems to have captured the betting public’s imagination like we have never seen before. Not just in terms of boxing events but sporting events.

“Industry wide, it’s one of the biggest sporting events that’s going to be bet on for a long, long time. I think it’s going to break all records.”

Betfair took in a reported £8.9 million of bets for Mayweather’s last high-profile bout, against Manny Pacquiao in 2015. To put the magnitude of this fight into context, Betfair has already taken £20 million in stakes for McGregor vs. Mayweather.

Underdog McGregor has unsurprisingly accounted for more of the stakes placed, although the value has gradually lessened since markets opened, as shown by Odds Shark.

Most of the big-stake bets, meanwhile, continue to be placed on Mayweather, who is stepping out of retirement after almost two years out of the ring so he can attempt to seal his 50-0 record against a pro debutant.

Several key events, it’s noted by Matthews, have influenced punters’ opinions. It’s said more than £1.5 million worth of bets was placed in the hours after it was confirmed the fighters would wear eight-ounce gloves rather than the usual 10-ounce.

A sell-out press tour and endless back-and-forth barbs have also lent themselves well to the drama and spectacle, and ESPN’s David Payne illustrated how it’s The Notorious who appears to be winning that duel:

The Independent’s Luke Brown reported a potential prize purse of $390 million (£300 million) could see the fighters break new records, but the punters’ involvement means fans could have a hand making this the biggest fight ever, too.

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Rocky Marciano Jr. Explains Why Floyd Mayweather Doesn’t Deserve to Break Record

Rocky Marciano Jr. does not believe Floyd Mayweather should have the opportunity to break his father’s unbeaten record of 49-0 in what he described as an “exhibition match” against Conor McGregor on Saturday night.
“No matter what happens, I don’…

Rocky Marciano Jr. does not believe Floyd Mayweather should have the opportunity to break his father’s unbeaten record of 49-0 in what he described as an “exhibition match” against Conor McGregor on Saturday night.

“No matter what happens, I don’t think it should go towards Mayweather’s professional career (record), win or lose,” he told Josh Peter of USA Today.

Marciano finished his career at 49-0, the same record that Mayweather will bring into his upcoming fight against McGregor.

      

This article will be updated to provide more information on this story as it becomes available.

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