Pablo Luna
How many fighters took two entirely different worlds and pitted them against each other? The fight between Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor fits the criteria to qualify it as one of the best fights we have ever seen in a combat sport.
McGregor vs. Mayweather showcased the worlds of boxing and MMA back in 2017. It was a fight between two different styles of fighters. McGregor’s cunning ability to slide into the boxing ring helped change the landscape of fights even today.
How the fight transpired
McGregor made his UFC debut in 2013 and won his first fight in 67 seconds. His rise to stardom was something that we had never seen before. He was on pace to be one of the best UFC fighters of all time. McGregor eventually became the first two-division UFC champion and achieved everything you could imagine in the UFC. When he wanted to take on Mayweather in the boxing ring, the whole world doubted him. How was that even possible?
The fight between the two men started on the Conan O’Brien Show when he asked McGregor if he would fight Mayweather after he came off a win over Manny Pacquiao. McGregor said he would “dismantle” him back then and that he would love to fight for $180 million. How Mayweather rescinded became a rollercoaster ride.
Mayweather’s response
Originally, it was Mayweather’s uncle that said he would win with just one hand. Eventually, tensions built up as Mayweather grew tired of all the trash-talking McGregor was giving. Fans were all on McGregor’s side and loved that he was talking everything up. Mayweather’s fiercest strike was when he posted his net worth of 650 million dollars compared to the net worth of McGregor for $2.5 million.
The drama that followed felt like it could have been scripted. McGregor got his boxing license as the two danced on Twitter until the fight was official. The two insulted each other, stared each other down, and did everything else possible to hype it up. The fight ended up being lackluster as Mayweather won to stretch his record to 49-0, making him the best fighter we have ever seen since Mike Tyson.
How fighting changed
We have seen fighters in the UFC realize that they are a popular commodity. When the pandemic shut down sports, the UFC was one of the few sports that kept on chugging through. However, some fighters, such as Jorge Masvidal, lost out on a title shot because he couldn’t agree on a contract. Masvidal is one of the biggest stars in the sport but wanted more money to fight in bigger fights. Such as Mayweather, he wasn’t going to fight unless the dollar amount was just right.
Athletes are understanding that there is so much more to the business side and that the franchise doesn’t make their money without them. The Mayweather-McGregor fight was not going to happen unless each fighter knew they were going to get paid. As fighting organizations continue to rise, the fighters are going to want their piece of the pie.
