McGregor Mayweather is one of the greatest mixed martial arts (MMA) fighters of all-time. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest boxers of all-time as well. On January 26, 2018, Mayweather made his first professional boxing match in UFC history against UFC lightweight champion and childhood hero Conor McGregor. The match was contested at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada and aired on pay-per-view (PPV) worldwide. The betting odds were heavily in favor of McGregor; many bookmakers gave him as high as an 18-1 odds against Mayweather. In fact, McGregor’s odds were so high that many online sportsbooks didn’t list them at all.
Mayweather is arguably the greatest active boxer of all time and has a record 74 career wins (including 69 by knockout). He also holds the distinction of being one of only four boxers in history to achieve undefeated records in their respective weight classes. Since turning professional in 2010, the lightweight king (168 lb) has never lost a fight.
For his part, McGregor is a two division world champion and the first-ever UFC champion to have also won the NBA Championship. He is the father of six children, one of whom committed suicide in 2018 due to depression. McGregor has said he will never defend or cheat at any sort of game, including gambling. The Irishman has openly admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) throughout his athletic career, which he continues to do and will continue to do even while he’s competing in mixed martial arts tournaments.
Many experts and fans have compared the two athletes’ records and styles and predicted an easy victory for the undefeated champion. In fact, some sportsbooks even listed Mayweather as a 5-to-1 favorite in the fight.
Despite the public perception that MMA is a less-than-safe sports arena, the opposite is true. Although there are no exact figures available, mixed martial arts is a much safer sport than professional boxing. This is mainly attributed to the fact that the athletes’ movements are limited by the rules of the sport. As a result, there is less room for error. Fighters are not able to kick or bite their opponents, so they harm themselves much less during fights.
Due to this safety factor, many professional boxers have made the transition to mixed martial arts, competing and winning in both sports. This trend is clearly evident when one looks at the top MMA welterweights and lightweights of all-time; many hold professional boxing records as well. The list of such boxers includes names like Sugar Ray Robinson, Joe Louis, and Floyd Patterson. In fact, some sources now estimate that there are over 500 professional boxers competing in mixed martial arts today. While this figure may seem surprising, it is still a small fraction of the over 1.4 million professional boxers that once fought for a living.
This sports safety factor is one of the reasons why the general public has an aversion to MMA and boxing. There is also the fact that many fans believe that the sports are directly competitive; that is to say, they don’t want to see one sport enjoy a competitive advantage over the other. This was especially evident when McGregor was asked if he would still consider himself to be the best boxer alive if he lost to Mayweather. The Irishman replied, “I don’t see how I could still consider myself the best if I lost to you.” Although these are just some of the reasons why the general public dislikes mixed martial arts, the sentiment is certainly prevalent online as well. There are numerous memes and Twitter accounts dedicated to ridiculing McGregor and his profession. Many people compare him to another infamous boxing ‘super villain’ known for his similar tactics and bravado – Lex Luthor or the Green Goblin.
Despite all this hatred, the fight between Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather was highly anticipated. The match represented the first time that two of the biggest stars in sports entertainment had crossed paths and it was being hyped as the “battle of the billionaires’.” For fans of both men, the showdown was akin to a David and Goliath story with a twist. On one side, we had the underdog who rose from humble beginnings to achieve his dreams against all odds. On the other side, we had the self-proclaimed genius who became a billionaire by creating a billion-dollar business. Some even described the match as the “most important fight of 2018.”
Which Will Be The Main Card?
There were two main cards (MCs) from which fans selected the bout they wanted to see first. Some fans went with the lightweight main card while others chose the welterweight one. As we mentioned, the latter event was dubbed the “battle of the billionaires’,” as it featured two of the biggest names in professional sports. In fact, the UFC champion was undoubtedly the biggest name of all.
McGregor is a two-weight world champion and the winner of the UFC championship for two years in a row. At age 33, he is now the oldest-ever UFC champion and is also one of the division’s heavyweights. In addition to being a two-time UFC champion, McGregor is also a former welterweight champion.
We shouldn’t be too surprised that McGregor’s first match after becoming a two-time UFC champion was against the undefeated Floyd Mayweather. The two men had already competed against one another in the August 2017 Dana White announced scheduled match, which was rescheduled due to McGregor’s positive test for a banned substance. Although that fight was officially a no contest, Mayweather was the clear victor and many fans and media members believed that the light middleweight was the superior boxer. In that same month, however, McGregor knocked out Marc Marquez. Since then, he has gone on to win six straight fights. This includes five straight UFC fights and earned him the moniker of “The Notorious Piñata.’
How Will This Effect McGregor’s MMA Future?
While many expected McGregor to continue his undefeated streak and dominate Mayweather, it wasn’t to be. In fact, Mayweather outclassed the UFC champion in every way. The match was closer, longer, and more action-packed than most expected. Mayweather proved to the world that he is still the best boxer alive today and that McGregor is no match for him. In the end, Mayweather’s experience, speed, and stamina were too much for McGregor, who was not able to keep up with the Las Vegas champion.
Aside from being the UFC’s first ever champion to lose, McGregor also became the first ever champion to lose on PPV. Despite being one of the biggest pay-per-view events ever, the fight wasn’t sold out. This is mainly because UFC president Dana White acknowledged that many fans wanted to see Mayweather fight again. The fact that this is the case shows how much the general public still values professional boxing more than MMA. White recently said that in light of McGregor’s loss, he doesn’t know if the UFC will ever feature a heavyweight fight again.
For his part, McGregor has already begun the process of transforming his professional MMA career. He has gone from being the undefeated UFC champion to a two-time champion who lost on PPV. This loss will be hard to overcome and could end up being a seminal moment in his fighting career. However, McGregor is not done competing yet; he has already signed a contract to fight in October 2020. This will be his third match in 2019 and his fifth match total in the next two years. If history is any indication, McGregor will find a way to get back on the winning side of the scores in the near future.