Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor are two of the most charismatic, crowd-pleasing warriors to emerge in the last two decades of sports entertainment. For his part, Floyd Mayweather has equalled the 49-0 record set by Rocky Marciano in September 1955 – and, in a perfect climax, did so exactly 60 years after it was set. Meanwhile, Conor McGregor’s swaggering demeanor, brash (and expletive-ridden) promos and scintillating knockouts have established him as a true ‘people’s champion’ in the octagon.
Inevitably then, with the confirmation of their meeting on 26 August, came an unstoppable surge of publicity. The two have been inseparable, with an array of press conferences erupting into chaos, serving only to add more fuel to the already-uncontrollable ‘fire’ that has been #MayweatherMcGregor on social media. With the hype relentless, emotions can often fog the inexperienced bettor’s decisions – especially ahead of an event which will not only be remembered for generations, but may also provoke other MMA fighters to switch to boxing, and vice-versa.
With three possible outcomes, it is important for anyone placing a bet to know the odds as they currently stand, with exactly one month to go until the big night:
Mayweather win via KO / DQ
An MMA fighter in his prime taking on a semi-retired boxer represents unchartered territory for everyone, regardless of how much a self-proclaimed ‘expert’ they purport to be. Although one bookmaker is currently offering odds of 20/1 on a Mayweather win, current Mayweather vs McGregor betting tips reflect a consensus among bookmakers that Mayweather should dispatch McGregor with minimal fuss.
Although aged and now unfit to take on another full-time professional boxer for 12 rounds, Mayweather is still experienced enough to open up a can of the proverbial on McGregor at the slightest error.
McGregor win via KO / DQ
Although professional boxing attire will be an alien concept to McGregor, he has a golden chance to shock the world if he can channel his superior fitness, and youthful virility, effectively within his movement. In addition to having youth on his side, McGregor is also accustomed to fighting for longer durations, with UFC bouts lasting five minutes – a whole two minutes longer than a round of professional boxing.
Ultimately, this would explain the relatively short odds of 6/1 in favor of a McGregor win via knockout, with fellow UFC fighter – and evident betting man – Tyron Woodley believing that such an outcome is possible:
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https://youtu.be/e_QrmKacHT4
With no submissions or groundwork involved in boxing, McGregor will also have the ability to press home territorial advantage through clinching when cornered. McGregor also boasts a superior reach to Mayweather, which will enable him to fight more conservatively in phases if necessary.
Decision win
An MMA fighter in his prime taking on a semi-retired boxer represents unchartered territory for bookmakers and bettors alike to negotiate. Even though both fighters have previous for utter savagery, neither will want to lose face in front of an almost-universal audience. As such, the possibility of a decision win should not be ignored.
Often, it is the case that the most hyped fights fail to live up to expectation, and with Mayweather aspiring to become the first 50-0 boxer in history, it will be in his best interests to take the fight seriously and do that which he only ever done in the ring – win.