After months anticipation, media hype and fanfare, what could be known as the biggest sporting event of our lifetime is finally here.
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A fight that is now simply known as ‘MayGregor’, Floyd Mayweather has come out of retirement to face Conor McGregor in a traditional Queensbury rules boxing match.
Set to take place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, the fight is scheduled for 12 rounds at the 154-pound weight limit and with both men wearing eight-ounce gloves.
Let’s make no bones about it: a mixed martial arts fighter with a 0-0 professional boxing record has no business being in the ring with arguably the greatest boxer of all time. But there’s an intangible X-factor to this match-up that has captivated not only fight fans but also the wider sporting community.
Let’s touch on some of the specifics regarding each fighter and how they stack up against each other.
Floyd Mayweather
Almost universally regarded as the best defensive boxer of all time, Mayweather has made a career out of nullifying his opponents offence.
He does this either by using lots of footwork to manage his distance or by standing in front of his opponent and using shoulder rolls and slips to evade punches, depending on the boxer.
His strategy usually depends on the speed, power, size and technical prowess of his opponent and whether he feels he has an advantage in a specific area.
If Mayweather feels that his opponent has a speed or power advantage, he will often use his superior footwork to maintain distance and dictate when the exchanges take place.
However, if the opponent possesses fewer physical gifts, Mayweather will stay within punching range and use his superior head movement and defensive acumen to absorb minimal damage.
Both of these strategies usually result in him taking less damage than other fighters his age, meaning that even though he’s 40, his age is less of a factor than it would be for a more reckless, aggressive fighter.
Mayweather’s offence is largely based around his well-versed jab, whether he’s simply sticking it in his opponent’s face to set up another attack or if he’s thudding it into their body to sap their gas tank.
He also likes to use his lead hook to step off to his left side and a darting right hand to get in range and tie his opponent up in a clinch.
The narrative is that Mayweather doesn’t hit hard enough to knock people out, but that’s not entirely true. He’s had troubles throughout his career after breaking his hands, and he was forced to adapt his style to preserve them.
With no foreseeable fights on the horizon after this, however, Mayweather may opt to drop some more power into his punches and potentially finish the fight.
(Image: AP Photo/John Locher, File)
Conor McGregor
Never in history has there been such speculation and fanfare leading up to a boxing fight, where one of the contestants has a record of 0–0.
Make no mistake about it, though – if Conor McGregor knocks out Mayweather this weekend, he will be the most prolific athlete in sporting history.
Throughout his mixed martial arts and UFC career the majority of McGregor’s success has come from his straight left hand and his ability to land it with pinpoint accuracy. As a southpaw McGregor fights with his right hand forward, meaning his rear left hand is his best power punch.
When a southpaw fighter faces an orthodox fighter like Mayweather, each fighter’s rear-handed punch has a much clearer trajectory to sneak between the gloves and land cleanly. Because his left hand is generally set up with kicks to the body, McGregor is going to have to find another way to set up his most potent weapon.
An area where McGregor may have an advantage is in the clinch, which is one of Floyd’s favourite ways of neutralising an exchange when he feels he’s in danger.
Clinch fighting is far more common in MMA and is often where the majority of the fight takes place, whereas in boxing clinching is generally broken up by the referee.
(Image: AAP Image/NEWZULU/M.D. MACKINNON).
What to expect?
While I hate to roll out clichés, the fact is that I have no idea what to expect, and neither should anyone else.
But do I have an educated opinion about what’s likely to happen? Conventional wisdom tells us that Mayweather should pick McGregor apart with superior offensive and defensive boxing technique.
The wonderful thing about combat sport, however, is that there are no guarantees. McGregor could be down 11 rounds to zero and manage to land his patented left hand.
Mayweather has a number of paths to victory. He may opt to target McGregor’s body early in the fight and then try to close the show with a technical knockout in the later rounds, or it’s entirely possible that he’ll dance around the ring, land just enough punches to win the rounds and easily outbox the Irishman for a unanimous decision victory.
McGregor needs to be adaptable in his approach. If he plans on catching Mayweather with a left straight punch, he needs to land it in the early rounds, otherwise Mayweather will get a read on McGregor’s twitches and tendencies, so he’ll be able to telegraph when McGregor throws the punch.
If the fight goes into the later rounds, McGregor needs to fight dirty while staying within the rules. He’ll need to swarm Mayweather with combinations and keep him on the backfoot with volume and in-fighting.
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