Floyd Mayweather saw off Conor McGregor in a 10th-round TKO in Las Vegas on Saturday night, taking his career record to an unbeaten 50-0, before announcing his decision to retire after his victory.
The 40-year-old American departs having surpassed Rocky Marciano’s 49-0 record and with his reputation intact after stopping McGregor in the Irishman’s first professional boxing outing.
McGregor certainly looked the part as he arrived for his boxing debut, looking stylish in suit and tie, as spotted by ESPN’s Arash Markazi, while BBC sports correspondent Richard Conway was baffled by Mayweather’s attire:
In an electric atmosphere, McGregor showed few nerves initially and made a great start, his early display impressing MMA journalist Ariel Halwani:
However, it was not difficult to spot McGregor’s MMA background during the fight as he tried to defend against Mayweather, as noted by Markazi:
The Irishman did manage to land an uppercut on the American, as shown in all its glory by SportsCenter:
Yet Mayweather was also managing to land his punches increasingly as the fight wore on, as shown by USA Today‘s Mike Bohn:
After four rounds, the fight started to visibly take its toll with Mayweather’s patient approach beginning to pay off as McGregor started to tire, per the Los Angeles Times‘ Bill Plaschke:
With the fight now in full flow, the atmosphere ramped up a notch as Mayweather began to dominate, as noted by Markazi:
McGregor received a stern warning from the referee in the ninth round after wrapping himself around Mayweather’s back, and the American quickly followed that up with a succession of right hands as his class began to show.
The end was quick to follow in the 10th. McGregor was sent reeling by a Mayweather right hand, which was followed by a succession of unanswered punches, before referee Robert Byrd brought a halt to proceedings, as shown by USA Today‘s Mike Bohn:
Mayweather’s strong finish was also noted by all three judges, as revealed by the BBC’s Conway:
While McGregor was ahead in landed punches throughout the first five rounds, Mayweather came back strongly, noted by Markazi:
Ultimately, the veteran’s superior quality and experience showed as he stopped the Irishman to taste victory once again and preserve his unbeaten victory.
McGregor can depart with his head held high after acquitting himself well in his first professional fight, although the gulf between the two fighters was clearly evident by the time the referee intervened.
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