We all remember the date. It was August 26, 2017. It was a bright sunny day in Las Vegas, Nevada. A historical fight between Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather went down on that day. It was perhaps the day that rewrote UFC history. Was it a marketing stunt by the organisers? Of course. 

But it delivered what the audience was looking for. It had drama. It had a brutal display of fighting prowess. Even after all these years, MMA and boxing fans reminisced over the fight. This is the post where we go back in time and break the fight down for you. It should give you an idea of what you can expect when betting on UFC or MMA, in general, on Betfinal. 

Who is Conor McGregor?

Conor McGregor, who was 29 at the time of the fight, is an Irish MMA professional. He fights in both featherweight and lightweight classes and is a double champion. Born in Dublin, Ireland, McGregor started his athletic career as a footballer for Celtic Football Club. 

At the age of 12, he discovered his love for fighting and joined the Crumlin Boxing Club. It’s believed that his transition into fighting was a result of bullying and low self-esteem at a young age. 

In 2006, at the age of 18, McGregor moved to Lucan from Crumlin and met Tom Egan. They shared a common love for Mixed Martial Arts and training soon after. Interestingly, Tom Egan also became a UFC fighter. 

His amateur MMA career started in the Ring of Truth promotion in Ireland, against Kieran Campbell, another amateur fighter. He won the fight via technical knockout (TKO) in the very first round! It was all that it took for him to sign as an official fighter at the Ring of Truth promotion. 

Conor McGregor joined UFC in 2013 as the 2nd Irish fighter. Can you guess who the 1st ever Irish fighter is? Yes, it’s Tom Egan, McGregor’s sparring partner from back in the day. 

Who is Floyd Mayweather?

The proud son of Floyd Joy Mayweather, Floyd Mayweather Jr. was born in 1977 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He was born into a family of boxers and his father and uncles all boxed professionally. In fact, his father even fought Sugar Ray Leonard, arguably one of the best professional boxers of all time! 

He was so surrounded by boxing so much that he never even considered any other profession other than boxing. And it has served him well to say the very least! He has a spotless career record of 50 wins and 0 losses!

Apart from boxing, he also pursued entertainment ventures like the WWE pay-per-view and Dancing with the Stars. The Conor McGregor fight was the last fight in his professional boxing career. 

The Declaration of the Fight?

UFC president Dana White was on the hunt for opportunities to reach the mainstream audience. He had the crazy idea of bringing a 40-year-old professional boxer (already retired) and a 29-year-old MMA champion to a boxing fight!

The fight was confirmed in June 2017. Both fighters confirmed their appearances on their Twitter handles. When the initial discussions started, it was widely considered an impossible feat. But the UFC president made it happen. How? We’ll get into that in a little while. 

From the very beginning of the speculation, Floyd Mayweather was a -1100 favorite! Betting sites pegged McGregor as the underdog at +700 odds. The odds made sense as Mayweather made a whopping $250 million in his previous fight against Manny Pacquiao in 2015, marking his 49th win. 

The Disclosed Paycheck Values

The fight was billed as “The Money Fight” at the very beginning of the promotion. The numbers that went behind this fight also attested to the name. The fight generated over $600 million in revenue, coming to terms with the previous highest revenue for the Mayweather vs Pacquiao fight. 

Before any athletic events happen on US soil, the state regulator must announce the guaranteed purse. For this fight, the regulator is Nevada State Athletic Commission. Mayweather was granted a $100 million guaranteed purse while McGregor got a $30 million guaranteed purse.  

The number may look discriminated but it makes complete sense to compare the career stats for both fighters. Mayweather has often been considered a living legend thanks to his 49-0 unbelievable streak. McGregor, on the other hand, was doing very well on the MMA side of things but it wasn’t nearly as big as Mayweather did. 

The Actual Paycheck the Both Got

One thing to know about the entertainment/combat sports industry is that the actual purse fighters generate is often not the same as the guaranteed purse. The guarantee only describes the minimum payment each fighter gets for participating. 

The same goes for the Conor McGregor vs Floyd Mayweather fight. Floyd Mayweather actually made over $280 million from a single fight while McGregor made over $130 million. 

A Round-by-Round Breakdown of the Fight

The fight card was destined to take place at the legendary T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Both fighters were in the light middleweight class before the fight. Robert Byrd played the role of the referee while the judges’ panel included Guido Cavalleri, Burt Clements, and Dave Moretti. 

Before the fight started, the referee was seen warning McGregor to stop when he said to stop. It made sense because the rules of engagement are a little different in MMA than in boxing. The referee made it clear that he was not going to wrestle with the fighter to stop him. 

Round 1 of the card didn’t see any notable moments. Both fighters were throwing punches, missing all of them. 

Round 2 was when Mayweather was trying to monitor and understand McGregor’s movements. McGregor got warned for hammerfists. 

Round 3 saw McGregor getting the same warning again. This is the round where Mayweather started to open up. McGregor was struggling with following the rules of boxing and could get points deducted for misconduct. 

Round 4 made McGregor even more aggressive as he threw punch after punch to corner Mayweather against the ropes. Mayweather covers up in classic boxing fashion. 

Round 5 sees Mayweather land a few more clean shots on McGregor. He’s clearly having fun.

Round 6 begins with Mayweather taking a few spontaneous punches as he turns his back on the opponent. Mayweather comes back with explosive shots and this was by far the best round for him. 

From Round 7 to 9, Mayweather was closing in on McGregor as he was showing signs of tiredness due to the initial aggression. 

Round 10 is when Mayweather came in with his full force, landing shots left and right. So much so that the referee had to come in and stop the fight. Mayweather wins with a Technical Knockout (TKO). History is written as he marks the unbelievable streak of 50 wins. 

The Question: Why Did it Take Floyd Mayweather So Long to Stop McGregor?

Before we answer the question, you have to understand the fact that UFC champions are not just fighters, they are entertainers. The element of entertainment is also something to consider. And that’s what sells the PPV tickets. 

Both McGregor and Mayweather know they’re there for a show. While McGregor tried to end the show early as a sign of dominance and youth, the more mature Mayweather was having pure fun. Also, his plan was all along to tire McGregor out, a classic boxing strategy. 

In interviews after the fights, McGregor claims that if there’s a Floyd Mayweather rematch, he would surely win.