Picture Courtesy : Bleacher Report
Floyd Mayweather Jr., in a span of just a few seconds, did what he does best. First, he put on a boxing clinic, scoring a 10th-round technical knockout over Conor McGregor in a highly anticipated bout between the boxing superstar and mixed martial arts champion. And then Mayweather jumped on the ropes, barking to the crowd and making sure everyone properly acknowledged what he had just done.
The 40-year-old undefeated fighter picked up his 50th career win, giving him one more than Rocky Marciano, the ring legend who retired 49-0, reports Reuters.
Floyd Mayweather caught Conor McGregor with some mean rights. #MayweathervMcGregor pic.twitter.com/IwnsxlHtne
— Vusimuzi_๓ʙ㉫し㉫ (@vuschino) August 27, 2017
The night’s biggest surprise wasn’t that Mayweather was the one lifting his hand in the end but that the fight wasn’t the snoozefest many feared. McGregor was making his boxing debut but managed to take the fight to Mayweather early and absorb punches and stay on his feet late. It was a resounding loss for McGregor, the brash Irishman who predicted a second-round knockout, but not one that he likely will be very embarrassed by.
“He was a lot better than I thought he was,” Mayweather said. “He used different angles. He was a tough competitor, but I was the better man tonight.”
Still undefeated!
Floyd Mayweather defeats Conor McGregor with a TKO in the 10th round. pic.twitter.com/agq9S1TBdz
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) August 27, 2017
When the gloves finally came on and the opening bell rung for what was billed as the most lucrative fight in combat sports history, Mayweather and McGregor promised to put on a show. To the surprise of many, they delivered.
Reuters reported that McGregor, 29, hoped his punching power could do what more seasoned boxers had tried and failed to do 49 previous times in Mayweather’s career. Afterward, Mayweather reiterated that he’d never fight again.
“This is my last fight, ladies and gentlemen,” he said to the crowd at T-Mobile Arena. “Tonight I chose the right dance partner to dance with. Conor McGregor, you’re a hell of a champion.”
