Author: Josh Martin

Floyd Mayweather Jr. is doing his best to become the Michael Jordan of boxing. His titles in five different weight classes and unblemished career record (49-0) might already mark him as the greatest of all time in the sport. Now, like Jordan, he’s coming out of retirement a second time to take on an entirely new challenge—namely, taking down a mouthy MMA star who’s a veritable amateur in the ring.

Conor McGregor, though, has at least 100 million reasons to look forward to Saturday night, when he and Mayweather will face off a T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. At that point, the wily 29-year-old Irishman will have to put his money where his mouth is against the 40-year-old king of the ring.

There will be three fights on the undercard before the main event. First, Andrew Tabiti (14-0, 12 KOs) and Steve Cunningham (29-8-1, 13 KOs) will face off in a 10-round cruiserweight bout. Then, Badou Jack (21-1-2, 12 KOs) and Nathan Cleverly (30-3, 16 KOs) will duke it out for the vacant World Boxing Association light heavyweight belt. Finally, before Mayweather and McGregor walk out, Gervonta Davis (18-0, 17 KOs) will look to defend his lightweight title against Francisco Fonseca (19-0-1, 13 KOs).

Fight Time: Coverage on Showtime begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT, with Mayweather-McGregor starting approximately at 11:55 p.m. ET/8:55 p.m. PT.

       

Preview

On paper, this looks like a no-brainer.

McGregor, who went 21-3 in the Octagon, has never boxed professionally. Mayweather, who’s aiming to round out his record at a perfect 50-0, might be the best to ever put on gloves.

But don’t underestimate what McGregor brings to the table. For one, McGregor can run his mouth just as well as Mayweather can. It would appear that the former’s constant heckling of the latter, particularly on social media, might have played a part in drawing Mayweather back into the ring.

Between the ropes, McGregor has some physical advantages in this 154-pound fight. He’s an inch taller (at 5’9″) than Mayweather and has a reach that’s two inches longer (74″).

And while McGregor has never boxed properly as a pro, his native MMA style was never that far off. By and large, he was a stand-up striker in the UFC, fighting primarily out of a southpaw stance. Boxing was always his best skill in the Octagon, and most of his knockouts and technical knockouts came by way of punches.

That all jibes with McGregor‘s sporting roots, he started boxing back in Ireland when he was 12 and has referred to Muhammad Ali as one of his earliest inspirations.

Still, it’s difficult to envision how McGregor will make headway in this bout, outside of landing his signature pull-back left-handed counter. The newcomer is notoriously aggressive, but that approach could play right into his opponent’s hands. Mayweather might be the greatest defensive fighter who ever lived and will surely find ways to use McGregor‘s aggressiveness against him.

Not that anyone should expect a knockout on Mayweather’s account. He has 26 on his record but hasn’t taken down an opponent before the final bell since September 2011, when he KO’d Victor Ortiz. That came on a controversial combination that some saw as cheap shots.

It’s possible that McGregor, as a boxing neophyte, will be vulnerable to a similar slip-up and ensuing slugs from Mayweather. The better bet, though, is that this battle goes the distance, with Mayweather emerging as the unanimous victor on the scorecards.

Scorecard Prediction: Mayweather wins via unanimous decision, 116-112, 117-111, 118-110.  

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Saturday’s megabout between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Conor McGregor could shatter records for pay-per-view buys. At least, that’s what Dana White, the president of the UFC and the loudest voice in McGregor‘s corner (other than Conor‘s), thinks will happen.

Those who plunk down the $99.95 rental fee for the Showtime fight, along with those in the building at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, will also be treated to an intriguing tripleheader on the undercard. 

Here’s a look at who will be warming up the ring ahead of the main event, with betting odds pulled from OddsShark.

     

Andrew Tabiti (-275, bet $275 to win $100) vs. Steve Cunningham (+215, bet $100 to win $215)

Andrew Tabiti and Steve Cunningham both know what it’s like to be on top—if not the entire sport then certainly in their weight class.

Cunningham (29-8-1, 13 KOs) has twice held a cruiserweight crown, but he lost his last USBA belt back in March 2015 by unanimous decision to Vyacheslav Glazkov. Tabiti (14-0, 12 KOs) is the current NABF cruiserweight champion and will be putting his title on the line in Las Vegas.

It’s only fitting that Tabiti is on the undercard for this fight. He talks a big game, sure, but he has the unblemished record to back it up, along with Floyd Mayweather Sr. in his corner.

“It’s so motivating being in the Mayweather Boxing Club right now and seeing all of these guys put the work in,” Tabiti said, per Boxing News 24. “Everybody wants to be the guy who’s winning. Everyone is looking up to Floyd and trying to have a career like his. It makes you want to keep driving to be the best you can.”

Tabiti should have the upper hand in this one. The 27-year-old Chicago native is 14 years younger than Cunningham and is clearly on the way up in his boxing career. But what Cunningham lacks in youthful vitality, he may be able to make up with his superior reach—82′ vs. Tabiti‘s 76 ½‘.

Prediction: Tabiti wins by split decision

          

Badou Jack (-450) vs. Nathan Cleverly (+325)

There will be more than just bragging rights and money on the line when Badou Jack and Nathan Cleverly come to blows. Jack, known as “The Ripper,” will be aiming to rip away Cleverly’s WBA (regular) light-heavyweight belt.

That could be a tall order for Jack (21-1-2, 12 KOs). This will be the 33-year-old Swede’s first light-heavyweight fight. He had previously won and thrice defended the WBC super middleweight title.

“I told him welcome to the division,” Cleverly said, per the Mirror‘s Martin Domin. “He’s going to find out the hard way. I’m going to give him a rude introduction to the division and show him how a world champion does it.”

Cleverly (30-3, 16 KOs) has already successfully defended his championship twice. His reach is also one inch longer than Jack’s, and at 30, he’s the more spry combatant in this fight.

But Jack’s speed and stamina are both beyond reproach. That he has the backing of Mayweather Promotions and trains at Mayweather Boxing Club tells you all you need to know about what kind of talent he is and how tough an opponent he’ll be for Cleverly.

Prediction: Jack wins by unanimous decision

        

Gervonta Davis (-3500) vs. Francisco Fonseca (+1200)

There is no more promising boxer under Mayweather’s wing than Gervonta Davis. At 22, “Tank” is the youngest world champion right now, and he will be looking to defend the IBF junior lightweight title for the second time. His record thus far—18-0, 17 KOs, including nine straight knockouts—suggests he should do just that.

Francisco Fonseca, though, is no tomato can himself. The 23-year-old Costa Rican has yet to lose a pro fight (19-0-1, 12 KOs) and has knocked out his last three opponents.

But this will be Fonseca‘s U.S. debut. As great as he’s been in his home country, Fonseca could be in for a rude awakening against a top American talent on foreign soil.

“I will be the first world champion from Costa Rica, and that’s what it’s all about,” Fonseca told Boxing News 24. “I fight for my family and my country.”

He might have to fight for his life, as well, against a pugilist as powerful as Davis.

Prediction: Davis wins by knockout

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Conor McGregor couldn’t have picked a tougher opponent for his first boxing match. Rather than line up a bona fide tomato can, like most any aspiring pugilist would, he went straight for the top, coaxing 40-year-old Floyd Mayweather Jr. out of retirement and into the ring.

A bold stroke, to be sure, but one that will earn McGregor a $100 million payday, win or lose.

At this point, there’s little doubt that Mayweather has the upper hand. As of August 23, the undefeated (49-0) right-hander was a -400 favorite against McGregor, a former UFC star who’s trading in eight corners for four.

Whatever you think the overall result of Saturday’s bout at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas will be, here’s a look at some juicier prop bets to consider.

      

How Will the Fight End?

According to Bovada, the odds favor Mayweather taking down McGregor by knockout or technical knockout (-125). But Mayweather, who’s racked up 26 KOs in his pro career, hasn’t ended a fight early since September 2011, when he knocked out Victor Ortiz, and has just two knockouts of any kind in nearly a dozen years.

It might be wise, then, to consider taking Mayweather by decision. At present, the oddsmakers have that outcome at +250—a far better value than Mayweather by KO.

Then again, between McGregor‘s inexperience and all the trash talk he’s flung Floyd’s way, it’s not out of the question that Mayweather makes quick work of his MMA-trained antagonist.

         

How Many Rounds Will the Fight Last?

If you’re inclined to believe that Mayweather will knock McGregor out, there are some over-under bets on the number of rounds to consider.

There’s plenty of money to be made if you think the bout won’t last past the third round. Betting on the fight to last fewer than 2.5 rounds will get you +350 odds. Slice that down to under two rounds, and you’re looking at a +375 payout.

The odds really ramp up below that. If you have the fight ending before the midpoint of the second round, you’ll be staring down odds of +550. And if you’re bold enough to believe either combatant can close out the other in the first round, you’ll get +600 odds.

Keep in mind, Mayweather has knocked out nine opponents within the first two rounds in his career, but he hasn’t made such quick work of a foe since he TKO’d Angel Manfredy in December 1998.

         

What Will There Be More of?

Those who love America’s two oldest sporting pastimes (i.e. boxing and baseball) will find a handful of prop bets to satisfy two passions at once.

You’ll get even odds if you think San Francisco Giants ace Madison Bumgarner will strike out more Arizona Diamondbacks than there are rounds in Saturday’s fight. The former World Series MVP has struck out 46 batters in 51.1 innings since returning to the Giants’ rotation in mid-July and will be facing a D-Backs squad that’s tallied the fifth-most strikeouts in all of Major League Baseball.

Texas Rangers fans will be pulling for Cole Hamels to fan his fair share of Oakland A’s up in the East Bay. If Hamels finishes with more K’s than rounds in the Mayweather-McGregor fight, those who bet on him will get a +180 payout. While the A’s, with the third-most strikeouts in the Majors, look ripe for picking in this wager, Hamels’ declining K rate (5.6 per nine innings) means this one will be more than a no-brainer.

As for former A’s pitcher Sonny Gray, he’ll be on a similar docket, though his odds (+160) aren’t quite as attractive. For one, his strikeout rate has dropped from 8.7 per nine innings in Oakland to 6.7 per nine innings over his four starts with the New York Yankees. It may not help his cause that his opponent, Seattle Mariners, has accounted for the 12th-fewest strikeouts in baseball.

           

Who Will Walk Out With Floyd Mayweather?

Over the years, Mayweather has become known for more than just his money and his fists. His pre-fight walkouts to the ring have become spectacles in and of themselves. Lil Wayne, 50 Cent and Justin Bieber are among the more notable names who’ve joined Mayweather in his jaunt.

The oddsmakers at Bovada aren’t proposing whether Weezy will be there at all, but rather whether he’ll be wearing a shirt (-220) or walking out shirtless (+155).

As of August 21, Bovada had Nate Diaz, one of McGregor‘s chief UFC rivals, at +115 to join Mayweather on his jaunt and -160 to not do so. That bet seems to have disappeared, perhaps because Jason Lee, a member of Money’s entourage, told TMZ Sports back in late July that it could happen.

When it comes to the overall number of people joining each walkout, Mayweather is the heavy favorite (-230), though McGregor (+160), as a boxing newcomer, could be a wild card in this regard.

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