Like a freight train, the dawn of 26 August 2017 continues to bear down on the two most outspoken and entertaining athletes in a generation. Just two short weeks from now, Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather will finally know how their respective personal quests will conclude.
In a bout that promises to go down as a watershed moment in the coming ages, both fighters are also on something of a comeback trail, with Mayweather having last fought in September 2015. For his part, McGregor has been absent from octagon for nine months, having won the UFC lightweight title at UFC 205.
For McGregor to win by knockout, Mayweather would need to have a drastically below-par night. While McGregor’s reach is marginally better, Mayweather has fought many others with a superior reach, and bested them with consummate professionalism. Indeed, five years ago, Mayweather was already an established star, whereas McGregor himself had yet to draw any money at all from pay-per-view events. Later this month, they will stand in the ring as equals, and from this, McGregor can also draw some psychological power.
That power may prove vital if McGregor decides to go against all his principles, and box conservatively, with a view to retaining energy until the latter rounds. With youth on his side, McGregor’s level of conditioning for battle set to eclipse Mayweather’s. Subsequently, the odds of a McGregor win by decision become ever more appealing. For all his self-evident striking skills, McGregor must respect his status as an underdog and use it to his advantage. By contrast, the pressure is entirely on Mayweather to win by knockout, and it is in his brash nature to go all out and do just that.
Adopting this aggressive strategy is not without risk, and in expending all of his energy, Mayweather puts his chance to make history in real jeopardy. Therefore, by deduction, a decision win for Mayweather appears to be the most likely outcome. Given the differential physical demands of boxing and MMA, a shock victory for McGregor over Mayweather would undisputedly establish the superlatively-popular Dubliner as the most versatile fighter on the planet. Meanwhile, Mayweather would break ring legend Rocky Marciano’s all-time record if victorious, becoming the first fighter ever to reach 50-0 in the Queensbury era of professional boxing.