Floyd Mayweather Jr. accomplished his mission as he took charge of his boxing match with Conor McGregor after a slow start and then punished his opponent convincingly before stopping him in the 10th round Saturday night.
The fight at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas had captured the public’s attention as the undefeated Mayweather and the MMA champion McGregor were squaring off in a rare cross-sport meeting. Since McGregor agreed to meet Mayweather in a strict Marquess of Queensberry rules boxing match, Mayweather appeared to have the advantage.
Both men blustered before the fight, with McGregor‘s bragging earning him quite a bit of support with the betting public. The excitement level was quite high when the two men stepped in the ring.
Here’s our look at the round-by-round highlights of the fight.
Round 1
McGregor starts strong, and he is able to back Mayweather into the ropes on occasion. He uses his straight right jab as both an offensive and defensive weapon, and Mayweather is content to give this round to his opponent as he throws few punches.
Round 2
McGregor is again dictating the pace of the round, and his right hand remains a strong defensive force. He is able to keep Mayweather at bay, and it appears that the size differential is working in McGregor‘s favor. Mayweather is a bit busier in the second round than he was in the first, and he throws a few lead right hands.
Round 3
McGregor‘s MMA instincts are apparent because he throws a couple of hammerfists at Mayweather. While this is a staple in his sport, it is not a legal blow in boxing, and he is warned about it. Mayweather seems like he is waiting for his opportunity to throw serious punches, but that has not opened up through the third round.
Round 4
The tide changes in the fourth round. Mayweather starts the round by backing into the ropes and letting McGregor fire shots, none of which land cleanly. Mayweather lands several clean punches of his own, one coming after McGregor missed with a left hand and Money delivered a right. Mayweather also lands several body blows during the round.
Round 5
McGregor starts to lose his form in this round. While his punching power did not cause problems for Mayweather earlier, the MMA fighter’s strikes are weaker at this point. He is swiping at Floyd and not firing brisk punches. Mayweather delivers a combination that starts with an overhand right and then a solid left. McGregor is breathing heavily, and fatigue appears to be a factor for him.
Round 6
Mayweather gets turned around, and McGregor launches several punches while Money’s back is turned. Mayweather is upset about this, and he delivers several left-right combinations that get through to McGregor. After Mayweather takes charge in the round, he is content to show off his defensive talent.
Round 7
Mayweather has been a strong counterpuncher throughout his career, but he is not using that tactic at this point. Mayweather seems unconcerned by McGregor‘s power, and he is coming straight at his man and hitting him with hard left jabs and a few straight rights. McGregor has little defense for this tactic.
Round 8
McGregor throws some punches, but most of them are landing to the back of Mayweather’s head. This is not a legal blow in boxing and is known as a rabbit punch. However, the referee does not stop it. While Mayweather is not hurt, he is annoyed by this practice. Mayweather launches clean right-hand punches that are finding their marks.
Round 9
McGregor delivers a right hand at the start of the round and follows with a left hand to the body that is close to the belt line. Mayweather seems to feel it, but he recovers quickly. In the latter half of the round, Mayweather is peppering his man with hard punches, and McGregor‘s mouth is open as he tries to catch his breath. It is quite clear that McGregor is tired.
Round 10
Mayweather batters McGregor at the start of the round, and he quickly gets his opponent on the ropes. He is delivering hard lefts and rights, and McGregor is bleeding. McGregor nearly goes down but manages to keep his feet. As Mayweather rains down more punches, the fight is stopped, and Mayweather is the winner via technical knockout.
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