Mayweather vs. McGregor: Everything you need to know about Saturday's megafight
Dave Deibert, Saskatoon StarPhoenix, Published on: August 25, 2017 | Last Updated: August 25, 2017 1:18 PM CST, http://thestarphoenix.com/spor...-saturdays-megafight
After months of anticipation, the showdown between boxing legend Floyd Mayweather and Ultimate Fighting Championship superstar Conor McGregor has arrived. Here’s everything you need to know heading into Saturday’s bout (T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, 9 p.m. ET), which is expected to be the biggest money-maker in combat sports history …
Who are the main eventers?
Floyd ‘Money’ Mayweather: 49-0 (boxing); 40 years old; 5-foot-8 with 72-inch reach; native of Grand Rapids, Mich., who now resides in Las Vegas; five-division world boxing champion; considered perhaps the greatest defensive fighter in boxing history; 1996 Olympic bronze medalist; biggest attraction in modern combat sports history; attempting to surpass Rocky Marciano’s 49-0 record.
Conor ‘The Notorious’ McGregor: 18-3 (MMA); 29 years old; 5-foot-9 with 74-inch reach; native of Crumlin, Dublin, Ireland; two-division UFC champion, including only fighter to simultaneously hold titles in multiple weight classes; thanks to his charisma and flamboyance outside the cage and knockout power inside, ranks alongside Ronda Rousey as UFC’s top drawing card of the decade.
What’s the big deal?
Two things: (1) It’s Ultimate Fighting Championship’s biggest active star against boxing’s top star; (2) Though it’s been addressed time and again, and the answer is usually the same, fans still want to see what happens when combat worlds collide. (More on that later.)
What’s the difference between MMA and boxing?
In boxing, the combatants strike with only their hands, and only above the waist. At the 154-pound super welterweight limit at which McGregor and Mayweather are fighting, combatants are usually required to wear 10-ounce boxing gloves, though in this case the Nevada Athletic Commission allowed the fighters to wear eight-ounce boxing gloves.
MMA combines boxing, kickboxing, jiu jitsu, wrestling and other forms of combat into one. Fighters are allowed to strike using fists, elbows, kicks and knees, and attack virtually all parts of the body (groin and back of the head, like boxing, being among the exceptions). The fighters wear four-ounce gloves with open fingers, allowing for grappling and submissions. As a result, fighters’ footwork, technique and positioning are drastically different in the two sports.
In boxing, knocked-down fighters are given standing eight counts to recover from knockdowns and no striking when an opponent is on the mat. In MMA, fighters are allowed to attack when a fighter is down, looking to either strike, wrestle or submit the opponent.
The knock on Mayweather — and the reason some people give McGregor a chance — is that he rarely knocks people out. (Ten of his last 12 fights have gone to a decision.) McGregor, meanwhile, is considered one of the heavy hitters in MMA — especially with his left hand.
“I believe one or two rounds, with eight-ounce gloves, I don’t see him surviving,” McGregor said.
“When he gets hit he’s going to find out it’s totally different,” Mayweather insisted.