Over the weekend came one of the biggest spectacles in sports in quite some time. It was the long-anticipated and much-talked about match-up between Floyd Mayweather and Connor McGregor.
Mayweather is the controversial boxing champ many consider to be the greatest boxer of his generation. McGregor is probably the most recognizable face in the UFC today, becoming something of an icon for the sport around the world. It has been a fight that has been talked for quite some time now and anticipated by many boxing fans. Both men have big personalities and followings, both exude a certain colourful confidence and both have a considerable amount of skills to back up that confidence. The hype was high for the event many were calling the biggest fight of the generation.
Did it live up to that fight?
However, going into the fight, not everyone was onboard with the spectacle. Many critics called the bout nothing more than a publicity stunt and many fans of the sport chalked it up to a farce. While both athletes are in the prime of their game, their games are vastly different. McGregor is a beast in the UFC ring but he would be joining Mayweather on his field of battle. Obviously there is an enormous amount of finesse necessary to reach the level of success McGregor has in the word of UFC, but boxing is a much more discipline sport. Going into the match, McGregor was already striped of most of his arsenal. He would not be about to use his legs for perform any takedown maneuvers on Mayweather which served him so well in the Octagon. Mayweather, on the other hand, has perfected his skills as a boxer and is known for evading his opponent’s attacks. Many thought there was no competition between the two fighters. McGregor is just out of his element and Mayweather isn’t going to risk engaging. It would be a long, uneventful fight with Mayweather declared victor thanks solely to his more skilled approach.
As it turns out, the two fighters put on much more of a show than many were anticipating. McGregor, perhaps somewhat predictably, came out ready to fight. But what was surprising is how effective and controlled his aggressive approach was. He immediately put Mayweather on the defensive, until late in the round, but his late attack didn’t stop McGregor from taking the round. Despite a few theatrics which he’s well known for, McGregor seemed to be measured and ready to make a sport of it. For the first few rounds, McGregor was not only holding his own, but confidently winning the match, delivering heading blows, keeping Mayweather on the ropes and delaying any attack. Of course, Mayweather is known for his patience in the ring. Come the fifth round, Mayweather battled with the young Irishman, delivering some key hits and putting McGregor on his heels. From here on our Mayweather showed why he’s undefeated, landing some devastating blows, and while McGregor remained defiant, he began to lag. The defining moment came in the ninth when McGregor has Mayweather on the ropes, but the champ backed him off with a hard right. As the ref called an end in the tenth, many fans were ready to admit the two greats put on a proper fight.
What did you think of the match?