“God only made one thing in this world that’s perfect-and that’s my boxing record.” –Floyd Mayweather Jr.
NEW YORK CITY – There was no need for Floyd Mayweather Jr. (50-0, 27 KOs) to run away to seal another win.
As boxing’s Albert Einstein, Mayweather’s mass-energy equivalence was his potent jab-straight combo, enough to wreck ambitious mixed martial arts (MMA) boss Gregor McGregor (0-1, 0 KOs) via 10th round technical knockout (TKO) on August 27 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Referee Robert Byrd stopped the fight at 1:05 of round 10 with McGregor under heavy fire and on the verge of being ravaged like a pork and beans can.
Mayweather, 40, proved that McGregor’s thrash talking and braggadocio could not be translated to victory.
If McGregor, 29, nicknamed “The Notorious”, was the best the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) could offer, then boxing remains the top manufacturer of scientific athlete in combat sports.
Mayweather demonstrated why boxing is called poetry in motion.
He allowed the talkative Irish visitor, unfamiliar of pitfalls in squared jungle, to come in like a traffic attendant and tire him out.
CONTROL
Mayweather controlled the fight from the opening bell, frustrating the taller debuting boxer with his signature footworks and blistering jabs that mostly found their marks on McGregor’s face.
When McGregor was ripe for a knockout, he unleashed a horrific combination and avalanche of uppercuts and hooks to make a final statement.
“I think we gave the fans what they wanted to see. I owed them for the Pacquiao fight. I had to come straight ahead and give the fans a show. That’s what I gave them,” Mayweather said.
“He’s a lot better than I thought he’d be. He’s a tough competitor, but I was the better man tonight. Our game plan was to take our time, go to him, let him shoot his shots early and then take him out down the stretch. We know in MMA he fights for 25 minutes. After 25 minutes, he started to slow down. I guaranteed to everybody that this wouldn’t go the distance.
“I want to thank all the fans from Ireland and all the fans around the world for coming to see this event. I couldn’t do any of this without the fans.”
GAME PLAN
Floyd added: “Our game plan was to go straight ahead. I said numerous times that I wouldn’t back down and that’s what I did. A win is a win, no matter how you get it. Rocky Marciano is a legend and I look forward to going into the Hall of Fame one day.
“This was my last fight tonight. For sure. Tonight was my last fight. Tonight I chose the right dance partner to dance with. Conor you are a hell of a champion.”
McGregor didn’t know what hit him. He appeared to be in denial stage when he quipped, “He’s composed, he’s not that fast, he’s not that powerful, but boy is he composed in there. I thought it was close though and I thought it was a bit of an early stoppage. I was just a little fatigued. He was just a lot more composed with his shots.
“I have to give it to him, that’s what 50 pro fights will do for you.
“I’ve been strangled on live TV and came back. 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. Where was the final two rounds? Let me walk back to my corner and compose myself.”/WDJ