Mayweather vs. McGregor: Preview and predictions
Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor are the best fighters in their respective sports, but somebody has to lose their impending matchup. Who will be the victor on Aug. 26?
Floyd Mayweather’s boxing contest with Conor McGregor has garnered worldwide attention. Both fighters are considered to be to be the best at what they do. Mayweather has ruled over boxing throughout his entire 49 fight career. He’s never lost and most do not think McGregor is the man to hand him his first loss.
Mayweather is 49-0 as a professional boxer. He’s won boxing titles in five different weight classes and has nearly 21 years of professional boxing experience.
On the other hand, McGregor has no professional boxing experience but many people think that he stands a chance to beat Mayweather. McGregor is one of the best fighters in MMA. He boasts a record of 21-3, with 18 knockout victories. McGregor took this fight for the money but also to prove MMA fighters are superior to boxers.
If McGregor wins, he will prove that an MMA fighter’s fists are just as lethal as a boxer’s. The problem is McGregor may be underestimating what’s required to master the sport of boxing.
McGregor has a solid foundation in the sport of boxing. During his youth, he spent years training at the Crumlin Boxing Club in Dublin, Ireland. He made the decision in his late teens to embrace MMA and leave boxing behind.
Of McGregor’s 18 knockout wins in the cage, 17 came specifically from McGregor’s fists. This proves he has a powerful punch and is lethal with his hands. He has a puncher’s chance against Mayweather.
As skilled as McGregor is with his hands, he lacks the pugilistic experience that Mayweather possesses. It’s not McGregor’s fault that Mayweather is more experienced and has more boxing wisdom than him—Mayweather has been on the earth longer and has been in more professional fights than McGregor has.
Mayweather’s biggest advantage over McGregor is his experience, not just his years of experience, but his level of opposition. Mayweather has defeated numerous future boxing Hall-of-Famers, names like Manny Pacquiao, Miguel Cotto, Canelo Alvarez, Oscar de la Hoya, Juan Manuel Marquez, Shane Mosley, and Ricky Hatton.
McGregor can’t say the same thing. He lost to Nate Diaz in March of 2016 by submission and was outboxed by Diaz at UFC 196.
McGregor’s resume is good. He’s beaten Jose Aldo, Chad Mendes, Eddie Alvarez and Diaz, but the list thins out from there. Mayweather has been tested against more elite fighters than McGregor and he has passed all of the tests. McGregor can’t say the same thing.
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Mayweather is a defensive fighter who is a counterpuncher. He subscribes to the philosophy of hitting without being hit. McGregor cannot say the same thing. If you look at McGregor’s fight history, he’s taken damage in order to deliver his own devastating shot.
On the other-hand, Mayweather is rarely cut or bruised during his fights. They only significant cut that he has received was at the hands of Marcos Maidana in May of 2014.
MMA is more punishing on the body and McGregor has presumably taken more damage. Conor McGregor tore his ACL against Max Holloway in back in 2013 and reinjured the ACL months ahead of UFC 189. Mayweather has broken his hands several times throughout his career, but he hasn’t suffered a break in years—or at least he hasn’t made them public.
There’s a good chance that Mayweather is the fresher fighter at 40 than McGregor is at 29.
PREDICTION
- Mayweather vs. McGregor
- default
- MATCH RESULT
VS.
Prediction
When the final bell rings on Saturday, Aug. 26 I think it will be Mayweather’s hand that’s raised in victory. McGregor is a strong, athletic fighter but he can’t make up for the disparity in fight experience he gives up to Mayweather. Mayweather has beaten some of the best brawlers, boxing technicians, counterpunchers, and warriors who have ever stepped foot into a cage.
McGregor’s MMA career and what he accomplished in the UFC is incomparable, but he hasn’t boxed against the best pugilists in the world like Mayweather. Practice makes perfect. Mayweather has had a lot of practice, and so far he has been perfect.
While Mayweather hasn’t knocked out an opponent in six years, that will change on Saturday. McGregor has never fought in a professional boxing match and is making his debut against the best boxer in the world.
Mayweather is in complete control of how long this fight will last, but look for him to stop McGregor inside of six rounds. Mayweather doesn’t have the most powerful punch, but he will hit McGregor enough times that the damage will add up fast.