Mayweather v McGregor

Mayweather v McGregor – Sunday 27th August, 2pm AEST

The fight of the Century is finally upon us, as Floyd “Money” Mayweather returns to the squared circle for what should be his last professional fight, against “The Notorious” Conor McGregor. This is the fight the world has asked for and in the “money” business, no other bout in history has garnered this much attention from both critics and fans alike.

The event will be held at the T-Mobile Arena in Sin City, Las Vegas Nevada on Sunday 27^th of August (AEST.) From a boxing perspective, many experts have written the fight off as waste of time and a simple money grab, but the Wolf believes that with a potential estimate of 5 million PPV buys and total gross of 600 million dollars, you would be a fool to not view and respect this fight as the biggest combat sporting event of our life time.

‘The Notorious’ is undoubtedly the biggest star in UFC history, his unique ability to combine elite level trash talk, with world class fighting skills has helped solidify him as one of the baddest and most exciting men on the planet. Boasting an impressive MMA record of (21-3, 18 KO), McGregor has taken over the combat sports world with his incredible punching power and ability to work his way into opponents heads. This was on full display back in December of 2015, when then featherweight champion Jose Aldo was stopped with one punch, 13 seconds into their contest. From there McGregor has been catapulted into the mainstream spotlight, competing in two wars with Nate Diaz which tested the Irishman’s heart and desire to win. In November of last year McGregor became the first UFC fighter in history to hold two world titles simultaneously after TKO’ing former lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez at Madison Square Garden in the 2^ndround. This momentum has positioned him into the biggest payday of his professional career, against the best defensive boxer to ever walk the face of Earth.

Floyd ‘Money’ Mayweather who holds one of the most impressive records in boxing history, (49-0 26 KO) is not just flawless in the ring but has done so for an astonishing 20+ years (McGregor was 9 yrs old when he made his pro debut). After winning bronze at the 1996 Olympic games, Mayweather immediately turned pro and has dominated opponents ever since. His legendary battles with Oscar De La Hoya, Shane Mosley, Ricky Hatton and Manny Pacquaio have seen his star power grow to an astronomical level. Floyd is well and truly the pay per view king, earning over a billion dollars throughout his career. These feats saw him top the Forbes highest paid athlete list 4 years in a row, from 2012-2015. Numbers like this have lead many people to question why a superstar of his calibre, would even contemplate a fight that he seemingly has little to nothing to gain in terms of legacy and credibility. The Wolf would like to remind everyone about the ‘Money’ in Floyd Money Mayweather.

From an odds making perspective this match-up is clearly one sided, but the X-Factor and unpredictability that McGregor possess must be taken seriously by Floyd and his team. A look back in history shows only a few times an event like this has occurred. June 1976 saw Muhammad Ali take on Antonio Inoki in a ‘hybrid’ style match-up and UFC 118 back in 2010 saw boxing legend James Toney take on Randy Couture. In both occasions the mixed martial artist came out looking the better, but the matchup we have for August 27^th sees the contest take place under the Marques of Queensbury rules at 154 pounds and with 10oz gloves. How does the Wolf rate each competitor’s chances?

McGregor must implement his game plan on Mayweather within the first round or 2, this is to get the respect of Floyd and make use of what little advantage he has over Mayweather. McGregor should have the power advantage over Floyd. His record shows he has finished people much bigger than Mayweather. The 10oz gloves are a factor considering he is used to fighting with 4oz gloves in the UFC, but it’s the defensive genius of Floyd that poses the biggest threat to McGregor. The question isn’t can he hurt Floyd if he hits him flush, but can he land that clean blow at all. ‘Mystic Mac’ has predicted a KO within 4 rounds, this is smart as it’s probably the only chance he has of winning. The Wolf advises McGregor to come out fast and take advantage of Mayweather’s ring rust, use his 2 inch reach advantage and not be afraid to get physical with Floyd. Once that elite level database of Floyds, figures out Conor’s movement patterns and habits, ‘Money’ should run away with the fight.

For Floyd Mayweather it’s not really a question of whether or not he can beat Conor, but more how impressive he can look while doing so. It has been close to a decade since Mayweather has finished someone clean, a quick look at the Ortiz finish in 2011 will clear up any questions. Mayweather must rely on his vast boxing experience and defensive prowess. His performances in the Maidana fights or against Pacquiao show how the all-time great has an unprecedented ability to not just neutralise the offense of his opponents, but also make them look second class while doing so. Mayweather may be the older and less dynamic fighter but the disciplined and measured approach to his bouts, are what make him the great defensive fighter that he is. Mayweather by UD looks very promising.

The fight of the century is quickly upon us, though the contest itself may not be that competitive, the build-up and sheer magnitude of the event has been amazing in itself. The Wolf believes that Floyd should be too much for his opponent, but expect a few edge of your seat moments from Conor. Can he land that left hand from hell and shock the world?

Tune in August 27^th to find out.

Best Bet: Mayweather WIN by Unanimous Decision ($4.00)
Value Bet: Neither fighter to be Knocked Down ($4.25)

BuildABet Tips:

Best: Nate Diaz to walk with Mayweather to the ring ($1.80)
Value: McGregor to win at least 1 Round on Any Judges’ cards ($4.00)
Other: McGregor to land 9 or more punches in Round 1 ($7.00)