The fight of the decade has been set, with Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor agreeing to compete in a boxing match on August 26th, 2017. Each man has his distinguished advantages, though the consensus currently stands on the side of Mayweather. The bout as currently constructed will be the man who has never been in a professional boxing match versus the man who has never lost a professional boxing match. Let’s delve a bit deeper into each man’s advantages and the style that they bring to the table.
Floyd Mayweather retired for a second time in 2015 after defeating Andre Berto. His retirement, announced in ring at the conclusion of the fight, was not a surprise. Mayweather is widely considered the best pound for pound boxer to ever step into the ring. His defensive style frustrates fans and opponents alike, often leading to 12 round decisions instead of knockouts. Mayweather relies on counter punches and keeping the distance between him and his opponent exactly where it needs to be to force the opponent to throw punches that will never land forcefully. With a 49-0 professional record, Mayweather has been a force for over a decade in the boxing world and this will more than likely be his last professional fight.
Mayweather stands at 5’8” and has a 72” reach. Mayweather’s reach has often been his advantage throughout his career, but that will not be the case in this fight. McGregor stands at 5’9” and his reach extends to 74”, giving him the decided advantage when Mayweather tries to keep his distance.
Conor McGregor is a showman who is just great enough to get under the skin of everyone around. He has never been in a professional boxing match, though he is considered to be a great puncher in the UFC. Being a great boxer in the UFC is far from being a great professional boxer, though. McGregor will not know all of the angles, he will not play the ropes well, and he may not even follow the rules. What he has done, for better or worse, is guaranteed himself the biggest payday of his career. The fight might not be all that impressive, but the monetary figures on his paycheck will be, and that is all that has ever really mattered to McGregor.
If this were a UFC style fight where McGregor could ground and pound Mayweather into submission this fight would have a very different ending. Nevertheless, this fight is a boxing match and will be fought under boxing rules. We have actually been here before when Kimbo Slice decided to try his hand at professional fighting after spending years fighting on the streets in unsanctioned fights. Slice proved that he packed a powerful punch, but when matched up against men that were technically sound and patient enough to wait for openings, Slice was exposed. This match will be much of the same, but instead of Kimbo Slice we will substitute Conor McGregor.
Mayweather will win by unanimous decision.
