Mayweather vs. McGregor: Fight guide, time, expert preview
LAS VEGAS – Well, here it is, the fight that seemed farcically improbable just months ago is almost upon us. Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor have battled across social media, around the world on their media tour and in Las Vegas this week. But that was all verbal, Saturday will finally see the fists fly, and prove whether UFC champion McGregor’s step from the octagon to the ring was brave or foolish.
WHAT TO KNOW
TIME: Saturday, Aug. 26. 9 p.m. ET. (main card).
COST: $99.95
TV INFO: Order Showtime PPV.
STREAM IT: Showtime PPV. App: Showtime PPV.
LOCATION: T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas.
DURATION: 12 x 3-minute rounds
REFEREE: Robert Byrd, Las Vegas.
RECORDS: Mayweather, 49-0 (26 KOs) – boxing. McGregor, 21-3 (18 KOs) – mixed martial arts.
ODDS: Mayweather -550, McGregor +350 (Mandalay Bay)
PREDICTIONS: Experts from around the industry make their picks.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR
FAST AND FURIOUS: Don’t expect these guys, especially McGregor, to ease his way into the fight. The Irishman will be desperate to press the action – Mayweather has said he’ll do the same – so look out for a furious opening to the contest.
FATHER TIME: Mayweather admits that, at 40, he does not have the same speed and reflexes of yesteryear. The events of fight night will tell us if he truly has lost a step, and if McGregor can make him pay.
EMERALD SMILE: Every Conor McGregor fight comes with an invasion of passionate Irish fans determined to roar their man to fight, and have a good time doing it. T-Mobile Arena could turn into a sea of green – as long as the visiting throng has not been priced out by exorbitant ticket values.
THE OBVIOUS STUFF: Common sense dictates that Mayweather will be too fast, too precise and too experienced to get hurt by McGregor. For all the hype and hoopla and ‘what ifs’, that’s the reality that should transpire.
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