Both Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor promised a knockout, but only one fighter delivered on their promise in what looks to be the biggest pay per view in the history of combative sports.
It was a star studded event with the boxing and UFC fanbases converging to Las Vegas, and the passionate Irish fans cheering on their beloved countryman UFC champ Conor McGregor.
The place was packed and the fight started off intense, with Mayweather looking his age in the first 3 rounds. Conor McGregor was very awkward throwing a lot of combos and Mayweather just letting him attack while he walked the Irishman down with the high guard.
A lot of shots were sneaking in early on Floyd and he ate all the punches almost to show McGregor that he can take his best shots. The power of McGregor didn’t seem to carry over into boxing, every shot that he hit Floyd with didn’t seem to hurt him at all, and Floyd disregarded his defense not even moving his head while walking the bigger man down.
As the mid rounds came around it seemed Conor was doing enough to win with workrate similar to Marcos Maidana he was using a lot of angled wild shots and smothering tactics. Most of his work was wasted and he was spending a lot of energy smothering and throwing sloppy punches at Floyd.
It wasn’t until the eight and ninth rounds that Floyd Mayweather really decided to let his hands go, he sensed that McGregor was gassing and tired from all the shots he was throwing. Floyd seemed to let Conor punch himself out on purpose and went for the finish in round ten, with Referee Robert Byrd waving the fight off with Conor on the ropes taking a flurry of shots to the chin.
There was no dispute by Conor he was tired and accepted the inevitable outcome, he would go down either way and didn’t have the endurance to last the full twelve. The UFC champion gave a valiant effort but it just wasn’t good enough.
Mayweather actually lived up to his word for this fight when he told the paying public that he was not going to let the fight go the distance and owed them for stinking out the joint against Manny Pacquiao.
Mayweather advances to 50-0 in what he has said would be his retirement fight, he has broken the record of late great heavyweight champion Rocky Marciano who retired undefeated at 49-0.
After tonight if Mayweather decides to fight on for one last fight, he could have a rematch with Manny Pacquiao should he defeat Jeff Horn in his November rematch, the fight would surely deliver fireworks if Mayweather fights the Pacman the way he did McGregor.
