Who wins Floyd Mayweather vs Conor McGregor?

It’s finally here – the fight that not many people thought would actually happen, and for good reason.

More Mayweather versus McGregor
» FAUX: Floyd fooled us again
» Five talking points
» Fight report: Mayweather by TKO
» What Mayweather said to McGregor
» Watch video highlights
» Re-live the fight with our live blog

Floyd Mayweather (49-0) comes out of retirement for one last fight to take on UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor, who makes his professional debut.

The real point of the fight seems to be the insane amount of money that both men will be making. The total purse is set to be around USD$390 million while total revenue is expected to hit the USD$500 million mark.

The winner will also receive the newly introduced ‘Money Belt’, which consists of more than 3000 diamonds, 600 sapphires, 300 emeralds and is made out of alligator leather.

For Mayweather, who goes up against a man with zero professional boxing experience, it seems like easy money.

However, just because it should be easy money, doesn’t mean it will be.

While Mayweather is arguably the greatest boxer of all time, and certainly the greatest defensive boxer of all time, he hasn’t fought since 2015 and hasn’t knocked anyone out since stopping Victor Ortiz (32-6-2) in 2011.

Mayweather is also 40 years old, and by his own admission, has slowed down considerably.

However, he is used to fighting 36-minute bouts. The longest McGregor has ever gone has been 25-minutes in his rematch against Nate Diaz, and he was visibly exhausted by the last two rounds.

(AP Photo/Isaac Brekken)

McGregor, on the other hand, is 29, seems to be in his prime and has what Joe Rogan described as the ‘touch of death’ in his incredibly quick left hand.

This matters, because now that eight-ounce gloves have been introduced for the bout (on Mayweather’s request), McGregor’s power will be felt much harder should he land.

All that however still doesn’t make up for the experience and pure boxing skill, but there may be other avenues for McGregor.

He may not have all the tools he can use in the octagon, but his strange stances, unpredictable movement and mental warfare may work in his favour.

If McGregor is to win, he can’t afford to have a ‘boxing’ match with Mayweather, and needs to find a way to turn it into his fight – and if Mayweather’s recent comments are anything to go by, he may have already achieved that.

Mayweather has come out and warned that he can, and is willing, to take a punch, however his own arrogance could play in the hands of McGregor.

Mayweather’s defensive style is what’s kept him healthy and incredibly successful. Seeing Mayweather get hit is not something the audience is used to seeing, or something that he is used feeling in a professional bout. Compromising that could cost him one of the greatest records in boxing history.

In fact, there’s so much more on the line for Mayweather. Given his place in the sport, his reputation and his skillset, anything other than a Mayweather knockout would be considered a loss to a lot of viewers.

McGregor should not be going the distance with Mayweather, and if Mayweather goes down, the credibility of boxing could go with him.

Prediction
Even though Conor McGregor has proven so many people wrong in the past, this is one fight where the mind can’t go past a dominant Mayweather win in typical Mayweather fashion. If he keeps his head in the game, and doesn’t get reckless, he should easily go to 50-0.

Floyd Mayweather via unanimous decision