Rafael dos Anjos is here to stay at 170 pounds. Facing Neil Magny in the show’s co-main event of UFC 215, the former lightweight champion put on an absolutely dominant performance, scoring a first-round submission victory.
Dos Anjos tends to be a stron…
Rafael dos Anjos is here to stay at 170 pounds. Facing Neil Magny in the show’s co-main event of UFC 215, the former lightweight champion put on an absolutely dominant performance, scoring a first-round submission victory.
Dos Anjos tends to be a strong starter, and Magny attempted to meet that head-on, applying early pressure for a brief time. That backfired in a big way, however, as Dos Anjos made the adjustments and wrestled Magny to the mat in the first 30 seconds of the fight, landing in half-guard and keeping the pressure high on top.
Magny had no real answer for this, and Dos Anjos eventually stepped into mount and sunk in a deep arm-triangle choke, forcing the tapout at 3:43 of the first round.
This is a much-needed big win for Dos Anjos.
While the Brazilian was riding high in 2015, looking the part of a potentially long-reigning champion at 155 pounds, things went into a tailspin in 2016, starting with his withdrawal from a UFC 196 bout with Conor McGregor. That fateful turn, alongside Nate Diaz’s upset win, saw him robbed of a massive payday and placed on the backburner of his own division.
The situation went from bad to worse to irreparable when he dropped the title to Eddie Alvarez and then lost to Tony Ferguson.
He entered UFC 215 amid a hard reboot to his career at 170 pounds, starting in June with a win over Tarec Saffiedine. This decisive win over Magny, however, cements his place in the welterweight top 10 and propels him right into the title picture.
On the flipside, this is a brutal turn for Magny. The 30-year-old has been hovering around the perimeter of the UFC’s welterweight top 10 for a long while now, bouncing in with wins over the likes of Hector Lombard and Kelvin Gastelum or bouncing out with stoppage losses to Demian Maia and Lorenz Larkin. While he ranks highly in the division, his footing near the top is far from secure and that makes losses like these sting badly.
That said, neither man’s future is clear exiting this event.
Magny may have been steamrolled in this fight, but his hectic schedule should see him to return to the cage in short order, possibly before year’s end. He could face (and defeat) a number of different top-10 competitors and immediately make up the ground he lost here.
Dos Anjos, meanwhile, has a strong on-paper claim to a title shot and possibly stands as the worst on-paper matchup in the UFC for champion Tyron Woodley, but he lacks the following to force himself into contention in any sort of timely way. His next fight could be a top contender bout against someone like Robbie Lawler on a big pay-per-view or he could end up on the slow road back to the top and face a hot upstart like Santiago Ponzinibbio on the prelims of a UFC on Fox event.
Things should become clear in the coming months, however, as the UFC look to get Woodley back into the cage for one of their upcoming pay-per-view events.
In a battle for heavyweight contendership, it was No. 7 Alexander Volkov who took a big step forward with a third-round TKO win over No. 8 Stefan Struve at UFC Fight Night 115 in Rotterdam, Netherlands.
The first round set the tone for an action fight …
In a battle for heavyweight contendership, it was No. 7 Alexander Volkov who took a big step forward with a third-round TKO win over No. 8 Stefan Struve at UFC Fight Night 115 in Rotterdam, Netherlands.
The first round set the tone for an action fight between the towering heavyweights. The 7’0″ Struve and the 6’7″ Volkov took to teeing off on one another in the striking game. Struve got the better end of some of the boxing exchanges; however, Volkov came on strong with a takedown and ground-and-pound at the end of the first frame.
Josh Gross of The Guardian summed up the action in the first stanza:
The second round saw the Russian see more success in the stand-up exchanges. Volkov opened up his game with more combinations, and it was enough for him to take the round. UFC Canada showcased some of the striking from the big man:
That round would be a harbinger of things to come. As Volkov continued to increase the pressure, Struve’s output slowed down. After continuous shots to the head, a strong left hook finally floored Struve. When he hit the mat, Drago was there to finish the job and get the TKO win.
After the win, Shaheen Al-Shatti of MMA Fighting summed up where the win puts Volkov. Things are looking up for the 28-year-old:
For Struve, this was a disappointing loss as he saw his two-fight win streak he built in 2016 come to a halt. He said that he would need to take some time before deciding what to do next, via UFC Europe:
It was a fittingly entertaining main event for an entertaining card from Rotterdam. The crowd was treated to plenty of finishes and action fights as contenders attempted to rise up the ranks in their respective weight classes.
Here’s a look at the complete results from the card as well as a look at each of the main card fights.
UFC Fight Night 115 Quick Results
Main Card on UFC Fight Pass
Alexander Volkov def. Stefan Struve, TKO (Round 3, 3:30)
Siyar Bahadurzada def. Rob Wilkinson, TKO (Round 2, 3:10)
Marion Reneau def. Talita Bernardo, TKO (Round 3, 4:54)
Leon Edwards def. Bryan Barberena, unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Prelims on UFC Fight Pass
Darren Till def. Bojan Velickovic, unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Mairbek Taisumov def. Felipe Silva, knockout (Round 1, 1:24)
Michel Prazeres def. Mads Burnell, submission (Round 3, 1:26)
Aleksandar Rakic def. Francimar Barroso, unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Zabit Magomedsharipov def. Mike Santiago, submission (Round 2, 4:22)
Abdul Kerim-Edilov def. Bojan Mihajlovic, TKO (Round 2, 2:32)
Thibault Gouti def. Andrew Holbrook, TKO (Round 1, 4:28)
Siyar Bahadurzada vs. Rob Wilkinson
Siyar Bahadurzada is back. After more than a year-and-a-half away from the cage, the 33-year-old made an emphatic return to the UFC with a second-round stoppage of Rob Wilkinson.
Moving up to middleweight for just his second fight in six years, the striker showed no signs of ring rust. He got the better of the striking exchanges early and often.
That pattern carried through into the second round where Wilkinson had no answer for Bahadurzada’s striking and power. Wilkinson took plenty of damage before the fight was finally called by the referee, a stoppage that was criticized for being too slow.
Dave Doyle of MMA Fighting was one of those who felt the ref could have saved Wilkinson earlier:
The UFC passed along the highlight of the win:
Bahadurzada came back in a big way, and he didn’t squander the opportunity to let those watching know this was just the beginning. The fearsome striker issued a warning for any future opponents after spending time away from the cage for injuries, via MMA Fighting:
Marion Reneau vs. Talita Bernardo
In a fight that was marked by several hard-fought scrambles on the ground, Marion Reneau showed the importance of experience in a third-round TKO win over Talita Bernardo in women’s bantamweight action.
Reneau was supposed to fight Germaine de Randamie in this event, but the former champion pulled out of the card and Bernardo was a late-notice replacement.
Bernadro should be applauded for the effort. She held her own in many of the grappling exchanges and arguably won the first round. She has a future in the organization.
Ultimately, No. 11 women’s bantamweight Reneau was just too good as the fight went on. With two definite rounds already in her pocket, she went for the finish in the third. With six seconds left, she forced the referee stoppage.
As Michael Carroll of Fight Metric noted, it was one of the later stoppages in a thee-round fight that there has been:
Unfortunately, this was a lose-lose situation for Reneau. Bernardo was a semi-dangerous opponent, but a win over her doesn’t necessarily boost her stock.
Leon Edwards vs. Bryan Barberena
Bryan Barberena is the kind of fighter who can put any up-and-comer to the test. He’s most famous for handing Sage Northcutt a brutal loss with his grinding style.
Try as he might to derail the hype train of British welterweight Leon Edwards, he couldn’t stop the 26-year-old from earning the nod in a close-fought unanimous decision.
Bam Bam put pressure on with volume early on, but Edwards responded well with the more powerful strikes. He added a takedown and back control to score the round for himself.
But Barberena didn’t go down without a fight. His volume finally paid off as he put Edwards on the ground with a left uppercut. UFC Canada provided the highlight:
Edwards proved his mettle in the third round, though. He went back to his wrestling in the third frame. The more athletic Edwards was able to secure a takedown and go for a choke.
Although he didn’t get it, it was enough to convince the judges he won two of the three rounds and be one of the big winners on this card.
In a battle for heavyweight contendership, it was No. 7 Alexander Volkov who took a big step forward with a third-round TKO win over No. 8 Stefan Struve at UFC Fight Night 115 in Rotterdam, Netherlands.
The first round set the tone for an action fight …
In a battle for heavyweight contendership, it was No. 7 Alexander Volkov who took a big step forward with a third-round TKO win over No. 8 Stefan Struve at UFC Fight Night 115 in Rotterdam, Netherlands.
The first round set the tone for an action fight between the towering heavyweights. The 7’0″ Struve and the 6’7″ Volkov took to teeing off on one another in the striking game. Struve got the better end of some of the boxing exchanges; however, Volkov came on strong with a takedown and ground-and-pound at the end of the first frame.
Josh Gross of The Guardian summed up the action in the first stanza:
The second round saw the Russian see more success in the stand-up exchanges. Volkov opened up his game with more combinations, and it was enough for him to take the round. UFC Canada showcased some of the striking from the big man:
That round would be a harbinger of things to come. As Volkov continued to increase the pressure, Struve’s output slowed down. After continuous shots to the head, a strong left hook finally floored Struve. When he hit the mat, Drago was there to finish the job and get the TKO win.
After the win, Shaheen Al-Shatti of MMA Fighting summed up where the win puts Volkov. Things are looking up for the 28-year-old:
For Struve, this was a disappointing loss as he saw his two-fight win streak he built in 2016 come to a halt. He said that he would need to take some time before deciding what to do next, via UFC Europe:
It was a fittingly entertaining main event for an entertaining card from Rotterdam. The crowd was treated to plenty of finishes and action fights as contenders attempted to rise up the ranks in their respective weight classes.
Here’s a look at the complete results from the card as well as a look at each of the main card fights.
UFC Fight Night 115 Quick Results
Main Card on UFC Fight Pass
Alexander Volkov def. Stefan Struve, TKO (Round 3, 3:30)
Siyar Bahadurzada def. Rob Wilkinson, TKO (Round 2, 3:10)
Marion Reneau def. Talita Bernardo, TKO (Round 3, 4:54)
Leon Edwards def. Bryan Barberena, unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Prelims on UFC Fight Pass
Darren Till def. Bojan Velickovic, unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Mairbek Taisumov def. Felipe Silva, knockout (Round 1, 1:24)
Michel Prazeres def. Mads Burnell, submission (Round 3, 1:26)
Aleksandar Rakic def. Francimar Barroso, unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Zabit Magomedsharipov def. Mike Santiago, submission (Round 2, 4:22)
Abdul Kerim-Edilov def. Bojan Mihajlovic, TKO (Round 2, 2:32)
Thibault Gouti def. Andrew Holbrook, TKO (Round 1, 4:28)
Siyar Bahadurzada vs. Rob Wilkinson
Siyar Bahadurzada is back. After more than a year-and-a-half away from the cage, the 33-year-old made an emphatic return to the UFC with a second-round stoppage of Rob Wilkinson.
Moving up to middleweight for just his second fight in six years, the striker showed no signs of ring rust. He got the better of the striking exchanges early and often.
That pattern carried through into the second round where Wilkinson had no answer for Bahadurzada’s striking and power. Wilkinson took plenty of damage before the fight was finally called by the referee, a stoppage that was criticized for being too slow.
Dave Doyle of MMA Fighting was one of those who felt the ref could have saved Wilkinson earlier:
The UFC passed along the highlight of the win:
Bahadurzada came back in a big way, and he didn’t squander the opportunity to let those watching know this was just the beginning. The fearsome striker issued a warning for any future opponents after spending time away from the cage for injuries, via MMA Fighting:
Marion Reneau vs. Talita Bernardo
In a fight that was marked by several hard-fought scrambles on the ground, Marion Reneau showed the importance of experience in a third-round TKO win over Talita Bernardo in women’s bantamweight action.
Reneau was supposed to fight Germaine de Randamie in this event, but the former champion pulled out of the card and Bernardo was a late-notice replacement.
Bernadro should be applauded for the effort. She held her own in many of the grappling exchanges and arguably won the first round. She has a future in the organization.
Ultimately, No. 11 women’s bantamweight Reneau was just too good as the fight went on. With two definite rounds already in her pocket, she went for the finish in the third. With six seconds left, she forced the referee stoppage.
As Michael Carroll of Fight Metric noted, it was one of the later stoppages in a thee-round fight that there has been:
Unfortunately, this was a lose-lose situation for Reneau. Bernardo was a semi-dangerous opponent, but a win over her doesn’t necessarily boost her stock.
Leon Edwards vs. Bryan Barberena
Bryan Barberena is the kind of fighter who can put any up-and-comer to the test. He’s most famous for handing Sage Northcutt a brutal loss with his grinding style.
Try as he might to derail the hype train of British welterweight Leon Edwards, he couldn’t stop the 26-year-old from earning the nod in a close-fought unanimous decision.
Bam Bam put pressure on with volume early on, but Edwards responded well with the more powerful strikes. He added a takedown and back control to score the round for himself.
But Barberena didn’t go down without a fight. His volume finally paid off as he put Edwards on the ground with a left uppercut. UFC Canada provided the highlight:
Edwards proved his mettle in the third round, though. He went back to his wrestling in the third frame. The more athletic Edwards was able to secure a takedown and go for a choke.
Although he didn’t get it, it was enough to convince the judges he won two of the three rounds and be one of the big winners on this card.
In a battle for heavyweight contendership, it was No. 7 Alexander Volkov who took a big step forward with a third-round TKO win over No. 8 Stefan Struve at UFC Fight Night 115 in Rotterdam, Netherlands.
The first round set the tone for an action fight …
In a battle for heavyweight contendership, it was No. 7 Alexander Volkov who took a big step forward with a third-round TKO win over No. 8 Stefan Struve at UFC Fight Night 115 in Rotterdam, Netherlands.
The first round set the tone for an action fight between the towering heavyweights. The 7’0″ Struve and the 6’7″ Volkov took to teeing off on one another in the striking game. Struve got the better end of some of the boxing exchanges; however, Volkov came on strong with a takedown and ground-and-pound at the end of the first frame.
Josh Gross of The Guardian summed up the action in the first stanza:
The second round saw the Russian see more success in the stand-up exchanges. Volkov opened up his game with more combinations, and it was enough for him to take the round. UFC Canada showcased some of the striking from the big man:
That round would be a harbinger of things to come. As Volkov continued to increase the pressure, Struve’s output slowed down. After continuous shots to the head, a strong left hook finally floored Struve. When he hit the mat, Drago was there to finish the job and get the TKO win.
After the win, Shaheen Al-Shatti of MMA Fighting summed up where the win puts Volkov. Things are looking up for the 28-year-old:
For Struve, this was a disappointing loss as he saw his two-fight win streak he built in 2016 come to a halt. He said that he would need to take some time before deciding what to do next, via UFC Europe:
It was a fittingly entertaining main event for an entertaining card from Rotterdam. The crowd was treated to plenty of finishes and action fights as contenders attempted to rise up the ranks in their respective weight classes.
Here’s a look at the complete results from the card as well as a look at each of the main card fights.
UFC Fight Night 115 Quick Results
Main Card on UFC Fight Pass
Alexander Volkov def. Stefan Struve, TKO (Round 3, 3:30)
Siyar Bahadurzada def. Rob Wilkinson, TKO (Round 2, 3:10)
Marion Reneau def. Talita Bernardo, TKO (Round 3, 4:54)
Leon Edwards def. Bryan Barberena, unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Prelims on UFC Fight Pass
Darren Till def. Bojan Velickovic, unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Mairbek Taisumov def. Felipe Silva, knockout (Round 1, 1:24)
Michel Prazeres def. Mads Burnell, submission (Round 3, 1:26)
Aleksandar Rakic def. Francimar Barroso, unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Zabit Magomedsharipov def. Mike Santiago, submission (Round 2, 4:22)
Abdul Kerim-Edilov def. Bojan Mihajlovic, TKO (Round 2, 2:32)
Thibault Gouti def. Andrew Holbrook, TKO (Round 1, 4:28)
Siyar Bahadurzada vs. Rob Wilkinson
Siyar Bahadurzada is back. After more than a year-and-a-half away from the cage, the 33-year-old made an emphatic return to the UFC with a second-round stoppage of Rob Wilkinson.
Moving up to middleweight for just his second fight in six years, the striker showed no signs of ring rust. He got the better of the striking exchanges early and often.
That pattern carried through into the second round where Wilkinson had no answer for Bahadurzada’s striking and power. Wilkinson took plenty of damage before the fight was finally called by the referee, a stoppage that was criticized for being too slow.
Dave Doyle of MMA Fighting was one of those who felt the ref could have saved Wilkinson earlier:
The UFC passed along the highlight of the win:
Bahadurzada came back in a big way, and he didn’t squander the opportunity to let those watching know this was just the beginning. The fearsome striker issued a warning for any future opponents after spending time away from the cage for injuries, via MMA Fighting:
Marion Reneau vs. Talita Bernardo
In a fight that was marked by several hard-fought scrambles on the ground, Marion Reneau showed the importance of experience in a third-round TKO win over Talita Bernardo in women’s bantamweight action.
Reneau was supposed to fight Germaine de Randamie in this event, but the former champion pulled out of the card and Bernardo was a late-notice replacement.
Bernadro should be applauded for the effort. She held her own in many of the grappling exchanges and arguably won the first round. She has a future in the organization.
Ultimately, No. 11 women’s bantamweight Reneau was just too good as the fight went on. With two definite rounds already in her pocket, she went for the finish in the third. With six seconds left, she forced the referee stoppage.
As Michael Carroll of Fight Metric noted, it was one of the later stoppages in a thee-round fight that there has been:
Unfortunately, this was a lose-lose situation for Reneau. Bernardo was a semi-dangerous opponent, but a win over her doesn’t necessarily boost her stock.
Leon Edwards vs. Bryan Barberena
Bryan Barberena is the kind of fighter who can put any up-and-comer to the test. He’s most famous for handing Sage Northcutt a brutal loss with his grinding style.
Try as he might to derail the hype train of British welterweight Leon Edwards, he couldn’t stop the 26-year-old from earning the nod in a close-fought unanimous decision.
Bam Bam put pressure on with volume early on, but Edwards responded well with the more powerful strikes. He added a takedown and back control to score the round for himself.
But Barberena didn’t go down without a fight. His volume finally paid off as he put Edwards on the ground with a left uppercut. UFC Canada provided the highlight:
Edwards proved his mettle in the third round, though. He went back to his wrestling in the third frame. The more athletic Edwards was able to secure a takedown and go for a choke.
Although he didn’t get it, it was enough to convince the judges he won two of the three rounds and be one of the big winners on this card.
Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Conor McGregor did exactly what they set out to do on Saturday night: Entertain fans and make mountains of money while doing so.
In the end, the man they call Money walked away from the combat sports extravaganza as the w…
Floyd Mayweather Jr. and ConorMcGregor did exactly what they set out to do on Saturday night: Entertain fans and make mountains of money while doing so.
In the end, the man they call Money walked away from the combat sports extravaganza as the winner. He scored a technical knockout victory over the UFC star in the 10th round, but not before the two put on an intriguing and entertaining show.
Now that it’s over, the only thing left to do is sit back and watch just how much money they’ll bring in on this whole deal. As pay-per-view numbers begin trickling in, the picture will be more clear.
For now, we do know where each fighter will start in terms of the revenue share. According to The Telegraph, McGregor is guaranteed to make $30 million for stepping into the ring on Saturday night, while Mayweather’s minimum is set at $100 million.
Of course, both fighters will likely wind up with much more cash than that lining their pockets (or suits in McGregor‘s case). In the post-fight press conference, Mayweather said that the fight had already broken the live gate record despite not selling out.
“We did break the record tonight for the biggest gate,” Mayweather said, per Yahoo. “Me and Pacquiao done $72 million. I think we done somewhere over $80 million in the live gate (with McGregor).”
Mayweather went on to say that the fight had also broken the pay-per-view record, but he didn’t elaborate on the numbers.
Darren Rovell of ESPN noted just how crazy it is to see how far boxing has taken Mayweather in accumulating wealth:
While the money is mind-boggling, the fans were treated to a fight that helped ease their mind about the big price tag. McGregor showcased his skills early on while Mayweather came forward as advertised and engaged in an exciting fight.
McGregor came ahead early in the fight. As the anticipation of this bout gave way to actual fighting, McGregor‘s first round showed a fighter that wasn’t afraid of the moment and was ready to put on a show. He was measured, but assertive.
The Notorious landed a clean uppercut that showed he could get his fist to Mayweather’s chin. It was the first notable punch of the fight and had fans thinking they were in for something special.
McGregor continued that pace through the first four rounds, as many who were scoring the fight at home believed the MMA star was winning the fight. Round 5 is where Mayweather’s aggression started to shine through.
ESPN Stats & Info noted the uptick in his production once he got going:
As the rounds progressed, McGregor continued to press forward and didn’t take any rounds off. But Mayweather responded in kind and started to land harder shots even more regularly.
Showtime Boxing captured a few of the harder shots the boxing superstar landed as the fight began heading toward the end.
With McGregor gasping for air, hopes for the Notorious faithful began to fade. Money almost drew a finish at the end of the ninth frame with flurry after flurry and no recourse. However, McGregor evaded the finish long enough to hear the bell.
Coming out in the 10th and final round, McGregor fired a body shot that was ruled a low blow, showing his final signs of life in the fight. Mayweather was patient in allowing McGregor to punch himself out a little more before going to close the fight out, but he moved quickly once he set his mind to it.
McGregor never went down, but his legs were definitely suspect. After repeated shots to the head with no response, referee Robert Byrd saw it fit to end the fight.
It was a fitting end to an exciting bout. While fans have been burned by Mayweather fights before, this one had a little bit of everything, including a finish. It was the first time that Mayweather had finished a fight since 2011, when he scored a controversial knockout of Victor Ortiz.
With all the money that was made and the quality of the fight, it would be surprising if this is the last big-money fight that sees McGregor in the ring. Mayweather, however, provided the last memorable moment of the fight as he made sure to let everyone know he was calling it a career, per Showtime Boxing:
The landscape of big-money fights in boxing won’t be the same without Mayweather, and this was a fitting end to his era of pay-per-view dominance.
When the dust settled in Las Vegas Saturday night, the fight between Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather Jr. had takeaways that should send everyone home happy.
Money walked away from the fight with his perfect record extended to 50-0. The Notori…
When the dust settled in Las Vegas Saturday night, the fight between ConorMcGregor and Floyd Mayweather Jr. had takeaways that should send everyone home happy.
Money walked away from the fight with his perfect record extended to 50-0. The Notorious came away a very wealthy man who put up a similar fight to every other boxer who has tried to beat Mayweather. Fans were treated to a wildly entertaining fight right up to the 10th-round stoppage.
Everybody wins.
The fact that it was an entertaining fight may have been a shock to some, but the bout simply followed a pattern that most Mayweather fights follow. The difference is that McGregor is a bit more aggressive than your average Money opponent, and the boxing legend was more willing to exchange.
The pattern that was evident was that of the slow start from Mayweather followed by a strong comeback. ESPN Stats & Info provided the numbers around the basic outline:
The first three rounds set up an interesting contest from the jump. Many didn’t know what to expect in the opening moments of this bout, as McGregor was making his boxing debut. The slow start for Mayweather allowed McGregor to get his own game going.
Notorious came out swinging and looked to take control of the bout. He did so through sheer volume and activity but wasn’t efficient, as evidenced by his percentage of punches landed in the early going.
As ShoStats noted, he threw a staggering 140 power punches through the first four rounds.
It was a double-edged sword for Notorious. While he was able to take control of the fight early and make it exciting, it was reminiscent of his first fight with Nate Diaz. In that fight, McGregor threw an impressive 74 significant strikes in the first five-minute round, per FightMetric.
The volume gave him the upper hand in the round, but it ultimately lost him the war. He came out in the second round of that fight clearly gassed, and Diaz was able to get the finish in the next round.
In the rematch, McGregor cut down his first-round output to just 58 significant strikes, picked his shots and won a five-round decision. If Notorious made any mistakes that could have changed the outcome of the fight, it was that he didn’t understand the boxing concept of taking rounds off.
In all, McGregor threw 323 power punches, which means that roughly 43 percent of the output in the 10-round fight came from the first four rounds, per ShoStats:
In his post-fight interview, McGregor admitted that fatigue played a big role in his undoing. Where he gets a little more leeway to recover in boxing, referee Robert Byrd was quick to put a stop to the fight as McGregor stumbled his way to the stoppage.
“I was just a little fatigued. He was just a lot more composed with his shots,” McGregor said of the stoppage, per Luke Brown of The Independent. “When you’re in here in the squared circle, everything is different. Let the man put me down, that’s fatigue, that’s not damage.”
While Mayweather got the win, the question of whether McGregor could compete was answered with a resounding yes. Money got the finish, but not before McGregor landed 111 punches against one of the best defensive boxers ever.
The Notorious’ punch count was higher than Manny Pacquiao’s and in the neighborhood of CaneloAlvarez‘s, who fought Mayweather to a majority decision. Iain Kidd of Bloody Elbow noted the comparison:
His performance at least opens the door to a return fight in boxing at some point. While McGregor is already a proven championship fighter in MMA, he proved he could also hang in the sweet science.
Losing to Mayweather doesn’t mean that McGregor isn’t a good boxer. If anything, it only proved that McGregor is similar to the rest of the boxing world in their inability to sustain success against Money over the course of 12 rounds.
Just like the Diaz fight it will be interesting to see what adjustments McGregor would make if he ever returns to boxing. After that performance, there would certainly be a market for it.
Rafael dos Anjos is here to stay at 170 pounds. Facing Neil Magny in the show’s co-main event of UFC 215, the former lightweight champion put on an absolutely dominant performance, scoring a first-round submission victory.