The day has finally come. Tonight (Sat. August 26, 2017) UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor will make his professional boxing debut and attempt to accomplish what 49 previous men have failed to do – defeat Floyd Mayweather inside the squared circle. It all takes place from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, with the […]
Tonight (Sat. August 26, 2017) UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor will make his professional boxing debut and attempt to accomplish what 49 previous men have failed to do – defeat Floyd Mayweather inside the squared circle. It all takes place from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, with the fight scheduled to go 12 three minute rounds with both men wearing eight ounce gloves.
Before we get to what some are calling ‘The Biggest Fight Of All Time,’ seven more fights will take place before hand. You can check out the full fight card and start time here below:
(Non-televised, 6 P.M. ET):
Kevin Newman vs. Antonio Hernandez (Super Middleweight)
Savannah Marshall vs. Sydney LeBlanc (Super Middleweight)
(FS1 Prelims, 7 P.M. ET)
Yordenis Ugas vs. Thomas Dulorme (Welterweight)
Juan Heraldez vs. Jose Miguel Borrego (Welterweight)
(Main Card PPV, 9 P.M. ET)
Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor (Super Welterweight)
Badou Jack vs. Nathan Cleverly (Light Heavyweight)
Gervonta Davis vs. Francisco Fonseca (Junior Lightweight)
Andrew Tabiti vs. Steve Cunningham (Cruiserweight)
After plenty of buildup, Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor will finally battle in the ring Saturday night. Of course, their prize money has nothing to do with the result of the upcoming bout.
The two fighters agreed to financial terms when the matchu…
After plenty of buildup, Floyd Mayweather and ConorMcGregor will finally battle in the ring Saturday night. Of course, their prize money has nothing to do with the result of the upcoming bout.
The two fighters agreed to financial terms when the matchup was booked, and neither side is able to discuss the final agreement, according toKeith Idecof Boxing Scene. What we know is both men came away with plenty of money.
“Nobody is bummed out about this deal,” UFC President Dana White said, per Kevin Iole of Yahoo Sports.
There are only projections about the official purse, although it is likely more than White’s initial projection of $100 million for Mayweather and $75 million for McGregor, which he explained on The Herd with Colin Cowherd in April.
Considering Mayweather took home about $250 million from his bout against Manny Pacquiao, per Kurt Badenhausen of Forbes, White’s estimations seem very conservative. ESPN’s Darren Rovell estimated the total sales for the upcoming bout would be comparable, although slightly less, than the 2015 superfight.
Lance Pugmire of the Los Angeles Times projects the total revenue to approach $662 million for the bout, which would be a new world record.
Mayweather hinted at his money at the start of August when he talked about being the highest-paid athlete in the world.
“I can do it in 36 minutes. $300 [million] or better. In 36 minutes,” the 40-year-old boxer said, per TMZ.
As for McGregor, he hinted his payout after a press conference in July. “I’m about to quadruple my net worth,” he said, via ESPN.
With Forbes estimating his current worth at $34 million, it would take just over $100 million in new money to quadruple that figure.
Based on all the money coming in on tickets, pay-per-view buys and sponsorships, it certainly seems possible for Mayweather to bring home a purse of $300 million with McGregor earning north of $100 million.
After all of the hype and bluster, we have finally made it—Mayweather vs. McGregor is finally here.
UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor looks to shock the sporting world with a victory over 49-0 Floyd “Money” Mayweather. Bleacher Report will …
After all of the hype and bluster, we have finally made it—Mayweather vs. McGregor is finally here.
UFC lightweight champion ConorMcGregor looks to shock the sporting world with a victory over 49-0 Floyd “Money” Mayweather. Bleacher Report will have complete coverage of the fight when the bell rings.
Who walks away with the money belt and bragging rights? Can McGregor do the improbable? Will Mayweather get to 50-0? All questions will be answered tonight. The UFC meets boxing under the bright lights of Las Vegas, Nevada, and the sporting world is waiting with bated breath to see how it all pans out.
Return this evening for complete round-by-round analysis of the highly anticipated clash of kings. The pay-per-view telecast begins at 9 p.m. ET.
Final betting odds for the biggest fight of the year have been released. Fight fans, we are just a few hours away from the boxing showdown between UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor and boxing legend Floyd Mayweather. This bout marks McGregor’s professional boxing debut. It’s no doubt that this fight will pull in some major cash […]
Final betting odds for the biggest fight of the year have been released. Fight fans, we are just a few hours away from the boxing showdown between UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor and boxing legend Floyd Mayweather. This bout marks McGregor’s professional boxing debut. It’s no doubt that this fight will pull in some major cash and attention. When the early odds were released when this fight was originally announced, it had McGregor as the predictably massive underdog, either near or north of +1000. However, as the weeks pass, money has been pouring in on McGregor to considerably tighten the odds. Mayweather is still a comfortable favorite. As of this writing, the latest odds have Mayweather as a -400 favorite, with McGregor at +300, according to Bovada. Odds have changed much since earlier this week. In fact, they are exactly the same. 5Dimes now has Floyd at -700, Conor +500. OddsShark is Floyd -525, Conor +410. SportsBet has Floyd -525, Conor +410. There’s going to be a lot of money changing hands tonight.
When it comes right down to it, if you plan on betting on Mayweather then you better place those bets right now as it’s only going to get worse as the day goes by. However, if you plan on putting your money on the UFC lightweight champion then he will be a wider underdog later today, so hold off until just before books close.
The big fight takes place tonight at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The card airs live on Showtime PPV at 9:00 p.m. ET with prelims broadcast on the FOX network at 7:00 p.m. ET. The main event will start at roughly 11:00-11:30.
For many people, Las Vegas will feel like the center of the universe on Saturday, when Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Conor McGregor finally step into the ring for their supremely hyped boxing match.
They are two bold, outspoken, controversial stars, both of…
For many people, Las Vegas will feel like the center of the universe on Saturday, when Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Conor McGregor finally step into the ring for their supremely hyped boxing match.
They are two bold, outspoken, controversial stars, both of whom have had enormous success in their respective sports and command the attention of fight fans and casual viewers alike. It’s Mayweather’s skill, expertise, defense and precision against McGregor’s puncher’s chance and relentless self-belief.
While the superfight could go wrong in so many ways—a drawn-out defensive battle, a Mayweather cakewalk or perhaps sullied by a foul—fans plunking down nearly 100 dollars can take comfort in knowing they are getting some extra value on the main event undercard.
Though none of these fights are especially remarkable in their own right and could be featured on just about any other card, they could prove to be entertaining.
Here’s the viewing info for fight night and a look at the undercard and latest online odds, courtesy of OddsShark.com (as of Saturday, August 26 at 9 a.m. ET).
Badou Jack (-400, bet $400 to win $100) vs. Nathan Cleverly (+300, bet $100 to win 300), light heavyweight
Andrew Tabiti (-325) vs. Steve Cunningham (+250), cruiserweight
Gervonta Davis (-5000) Francisco Fonseca (+1400), junior lightweight
Gervonta Davis (18-0, 17 KOs), an undefeated rising star out of Baltimore, will forfeit his IBF World super featherweight title after failing to get under the 130-pound weight limit, per the Baltimore Sun‘s Childs Walker. Davis is a powerful 22-year-old southpaw who has established himself as something of a knockout artist in his young career, but he’s set himself back a bit here in Las Vegas.
Bloody Elbow’s Mookie Alexander pointed out that Davis needed “three attempts to make weight for his first title defense against Liam Walsh back in May.”
A too-heavy Davis will seemingly carry extra power into the ring against his opponent, Francisco Fonseca (19-0-1, 13 KOs), another undefeated young pro out of Costa Rica. The oddsmakers heavily favor Davis in this bout. A good showing will make some forget about the early-career weight issues, but he’s going to have to show more discipline (or more likely, just bump up a weight class or two) as he moves forward. In any case, Davis should win this one with a mid-round knockout.
For people who want to see a couple big fellas slug it out, Andrew Tabiti has you covered when he takes on Steve Cunningham in a cruiserweight contest.
Tabiti is the favorite here, as he puts his NABF cruiserweight title on the line and looks to pick up the division’s vacant USBA strap in the process, per BoxRec. Tabiti has an 85 percent KO rate in 14 pro bouts, making the 27-year-old Chicagoan a good bet to delight fans with some thunderous punching.
Cunningham is an aging journeyman pro, with eight losses in his career and just 13 knockouts in his 38 career fights. Cunningham has also been knocked out once, by Tyson Fury in 2013. The 41-year-old does sport an 82-inch reach, per BoxRec, which could be useful in keeping Tabiti at bay. He’ll likely have to be at the top of his defensive form and show great stamina if he is to pick up a win on Saturday night. Look for Tabiti to come through with a late-round technical knockout.
The contest between Badou Jack and Nathan Cleverly promises a good bit of action. These are two pros who have both won some entertaining fights, and Saturday’s meeting is made all the more intriguing as it sees Jack bump up to the light heavyweight division after having world-title success in the super middleweight ranks.
Jack is going after Cleverly’s WBA world light heavyweight title, which the latter won off Jurgen Braehmer last year. Cleverly hopes that winning this bout on such a prestigious stage will elevate his career.
“Now we’re back here, on the big stage, in a big fight, with massive pressure, and I love it,” he said, per ESPN.com. “This will be my best ever win. The winner goes on to be elite.”
For his part, Jack doesn’t appear unfazed by the move up to a bigger division, and he appears to be looking for a brawl, per Showtime Boxing:
Jack is a crafty, hard-punching opponent who has picked up fine wins against the likes of George Groves and Anthony Dirrell. This bout is going to be a tough contest, and it has great potential as a scene-stealer before the main event.
In the end, look for Jack to eke it out on points, though a late-round knockout for either boxer is also in the cards here.
Floyd Mayweather Jr. will put his perfect 49-0 record on the line Saturday when he steps into the ring with Conor McGregor for the Irishman’s first career professional boxing fight.
McGregor is the reigning UFC lightweight champion, but he will be forc…
Floyd Mayweather Jr. will put his perfect 49-0 record on the line Saturday when he steps into the ring with ConorMcGregor for the Irishman’s first career professional boxing fight.
McGregor is the reigning UFC lightweight champion, but he will be forced to do all of his potential damage to Mayweather with his fists, which is something few veteran boxers have been able to do over the years.
Mayweather is arguably the greatest defensive fighter in the history of boxing, however, McGregor has little to lose, which suggests he’ll showcase a level of aggression that “Money” may not be accustomed to.
Here is a closer look at the odds prior to Saturday’s clash, along with a rundown of the entire card and a preview of the much-hyped main event.
Where:T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada
When:Saturday, Aug. 26. Main card starts at 9 p.m. ET.
Watch:Showtime PPV
Mayweather vs. McGregor Odds (courtesy ofOddsShark.com)
Mayweather betting line: 19-100
McGregor betting line: 41-10
Mayweather money line: -525 (bet $525 to win $100)
McGregor money line: +410
PPV Fight Card
Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. ConorMcGregor
Gervonta Davis vs. Francisco Fonseca for the IBF junior lightweight championship
Nathan Cleverly vs. Badou Jack for the WBA light heavyweight championship
Andrew Tabiti vs. Steve Cunningham for the USBAcruiserweight championship
Mayweather vs. McGregor Preview
Despite being at a huge disadvantage in terms of boxing experience, McGregor has been vocal about his chances of winning during the build toward the fight.
He has never lacked in confidence over the course of his MMA career, and that remains true now that the 29-year-old has moved into boxing.
According to Lance Pugmire of the Los Angeles Times, McGregor believes his time in the Octagon will translate into boxing success: “This is legacy. This is people doubting me, questioning my skill set—talking as if I’m a novice, talking as if I haven’t been doing this my entire life. I’ve been fighting since day one and I’m the best there is. I can fight in many forms. This here is Bruce Lee [stuff], that’s where my mind is at.”
McGregor isn’t stepping into the ring with an ordinary fighter, though, since Mayweather is arguably among the greatest of all time.
While he is 40 years of age and hasn’t fought in two years, Mayweather’s defensive ability is legendary, and making solid contact figures to be a huge challenge for McGregor.
As if Mayweather needed any added motivation, he revealed on Jimmy Kimmel Live that he has placed a bet on himself to win:
One of the biggest talking points leading up to the fight was which gloves Mayweather and McGregor would be permitted to wear.
McGregor publicly favored eight-ounce gloves, and after an announcement was made backing his preference, he was even surer about his ability to take down Mayweather, per James Dielhenn of Sky Sports: “Now the gloves are eight ounces, I don’t believe he makes it out of the second round. Part of me is hoping that he can last—part of me wants to show some skill and dismantle him. But I don’t see him absorbing the blows in the first two rounds.”
Conventional wisdom suggests McGregor will throw everything he has at Mayweather in an attempt to knock him out since winning on the scorecards is unlikely.
Few have ever mastered the sweet science of boxing like Mayweather, which means he should know all the tricks of the trade needed to diffuse whatever McGregor comes up with.
Because of his significant edge in the boxing realm, Mayweather will prevail Saturday and do so in convincing fashion.
Prediction: Mayweather wins by fifth-round knockout.
After plenty of buildup,