Was It A Good Idea for Floyd to Fight MMA’s McGregor?

By Boxing News - 05/18/2023 - Comments

By Ken Hissner: In the past history, 1956 Olympic Gold Medalist Pete Rademacher, in August of 1957 in Seattle in his debut, had world champion Floyd Patterson down in the second round. The only problem he was down six times in losing in 6 rounds.

Jack Skelly, in his debut, was knocked out in 8 by George Dixon for the featherweight title in New Orleans on September 6, 1992.

Rafael Lovera, in his debut, was knocked out in four by Luis Estaba for the vacant WBC light-flyweight title in Caracas on September 13, 1975.
Floyd “Money” Mayweather, Jr. was 49-0 when he stopped MMA’s Conor McGregor who was making his pro debut in August of 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada’s T-Mobile Arena.

Mayweather topped the 49-0 record of former world heavyweight champion Rocky Marciano who held the record since his last fight in September of 1955, coming off the canvas against record-holding knockout king and Light Heavyweight champion Archie “Old Mongoose” Moore, 149-19-8, scoring four knockdowns with the last for the ten-count.

Marciano was accused of fighting his cousins. It was never proven. A 61-year-old record was broken. A disputed split decision win over Roland LaStarza, 37-0, in March of 1950 was followed by an eleventh round stoppage while champion in September of 1953 when LaStarza was 53-3.

In reviewing the Mayweather and McGregor match Mayweather averaged landing three punches a round for nine rounds while ahead on the scorecards by 89-81, 89-82, and 87-83. In the tenth round, Mayweather opened up by scoring a stoppage at 1:05 of the round. He earned $285 million.

In Mayweather’s previous fight in September of 2015 he defeated former WBC and IBF Welterweight champion Andre Berto, 30-3, who was 3-3 in his previous six fights.

The former heavyweight champion urged Mayweather to break Marciano’s record. He obliged.

Mayweather was a former Bronze Medalist in the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia, losing a disputed decision to Bulgaria’s Serafim Todorov, 94-13, in the semi-final.

In November of 2018, Mayweather fought an exhibition against Japan’s Tenshin Nasukawa at Saitama, Japan, scoring a first round stoppage after three knockdowns.

In June of 2021, Mayweather won an 8-round exhibition over Logan Paul, 0-1. In May of 2022, he fought 8 two minute rounds against Donald Moore, 18-0-1, four years after retiring. No decision was rendered in Dubai, UAE. Twenty-three days later, he stopped Japanese MMA and YouTuber Mikuru Asakura in two rounds again in Saitama, Japan. That’s four exhibitions after the McGregor bout.

Mayweather had won the WBC Super Featherweight title in October of 1998, stopping Genaro “Chicanito” Hernandez, 38-1-1, in Las Vegas, improving his record to 18-0.

In April of 2002, Mayweather won the WBC Lightweight title, winning a disputed decision over Jose Luis Castillo, 45-4-1, in Las Vegas. It warranted a rematch three months later, and though the scoring was closer, there was no doubt he deserved the decision.

In April of 2006, Mayweather won the IBF Welterweight title Zab Judah, 34-3, in Las Vegas. In May of 2007, he won the WBC Light Middleweight title, winning a split decision over former Olympic Gold Medalist Oscar De La Hoya, 38-4, in Las Vegas. De La Hoya stopped using his effective jab after seven rounds but still made it close. When asked afterward by Larry Merchant why he stopped using it he said, “it sure was working good, wasn’t it, Larry?

In Mayweather’s first and fourth fights, he defeated Roberto Apodaca and Edgar Ayala in their debuts. So McGregor was the third opponent making his debut.

Mayweather had 27 stoppages to go along with his 50-0 record at age 40.