Tag Archives: Conor McGregor

Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Mayweather vs. McGregor: Does McGregor Really Have A Chance?

Sports News & Picks, , ,

Love it or hate it, the Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor fight is really happening.

Boxing’s undefeated pound for pound king returns from a two-year retirement on August 26th to face the UFC’s only con-current two division champion in a 12-round boxing match at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

A Freakshow?

Detractors call this a freak show because McGregor has never competed in a boxing match before, whether as an amateur or a professional. On the other hand, Mayweather has fought the best fighters of his era in the UFC and not a single one of them was even close to defeating him without a submission move. So, what chance does McGregor have in winning this fight?

Boxing experts don’t think that McGregor can land a meaningful punch against boxing’s best defensive fighter ever. Not inside a boxing ring, not with boxing gloves and not with boxing rules. Put them in an MMA cage under MMA rules and it’s another story. But McGregor supporters argue that their man has God-given punching power and that all it takes is one shot to change the tone of the fight.

No One Can Take The Left

Conor McGregor is one of the best strikers in MMA. Striking in MMA includes boxing. And among his compatriots, McGregor is one of the best boxers. Paired against perhaps the best ever in boxing, that’s another story. Still, McGregor possesses otherworldly punching power in his left hand, which he says no one can take. It will be interesting though if he can land it against the defensive genius.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. is looking for win #50 that will separate him from the legendary Rocky Marciano. It was perfect to pick Conor McGregor because not only will he be making the most money against the Irishman, but also because he will toy around with McGregor. Without his kicks to set up his punches, McGregor may be as good as dead against the best boxer of this generation.

Odds and Prediction

The odds here are currently -7000 for Mayweather and +1100 for McGregor. This isn’t even going to be close. Forget the Paulie Malignaggi photos. Mayweather may be 39 but he ain’t no Malignaggi. If McGregor can touch up Malignaggi, he doesn’t have the quickness to catch Mayweather. Also, McGregor’s head movement isn’t good enough for boxing, Floyd is going to target that head like practice.

Still, let’s give it to McGregor and give him the puncher’s chance because he does have some serious power in his left hand. However, he won’t be wearing those four once UFC gloves so that is an advantage to Mayweather. McGregor needs a miracle to win here, which is unlikely  but not impossible.This is going to be a huge event for both boxing and MMA but as to the winner, there is no doubt that the boxer beats the non-boxer in a boxing match.

We’re picking Floyd Mayweather to win by unanimous decision, 120-108 across all scorecards

Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Conor McGregor Odds and Prediction

Sports News & Picks, , , , , , , , ,

The fight that has intrigued the world is finally on.

After more than two years of teasing, boxing’s undefeated pound for pound king Floyd Mayweather Jr. and MMA’s concurrent UFC two-division champion Conor McGregor will face each other on August 26th, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Both Mayweather and McGregor made the announcement via social media. Showtime Sports, who will air the event, also officially announced the fight on Wednesday:

Impossible Now Done

Mayweather vs. McGregor looked like a dream fight when McGregor first told Conan O’Brien in 2015 that he would fight Mayweather if the opportunity was presented to him. The Irishman has never boxed, professionally or as an amateur, although he is considered one of the best strikers in the sport of MMA.

Mayweather himself was already retired and had not fought since beating Andre Berto in September of 2015 in what he called was the final bout of his storied boxing career. However, Mayweather had already retired before and has always said that he would return to the ring for a hundred million dollars. With that small opening, both camps tried to make a deal.

There have been several times in the last two years that the fight was reported to be close to being done. But it was never closer to reality than when Mayweather booked the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas for August 26th. Although it was subsequently reported that Mayweather cancelled the reservation, the fight itself was officially announced this Wednesday. What fight fans once thought was impossible is now done.

A Mismatch?

UFC President Dana White also revealed on Wednesday that Mayweather vs. McGregor will be held at the T-Mobile Arena (although there has been no official announcement on the venue) and that the bout will be fought at the boxing junior middleweight limit of 154 pounds. The pair would also use 10-ounce gloves and while White didn’t say it, it’s likely that it will be fought under pure boxing rules. McGregor has always maintained his willingness to fight Mayweather under boxing rules, although that may not be a good idea.

Put the pair in an MMA octagon with four inch gloves and McGregor will have the advantage. The Notorious has a powerful left hand that can knock anybody out, Mayweather included. But the pair will be fighting in a boxing ring where Mayweather has eluded the great boxer likes of Pacquiao, Cotto and Canelo. With that kind of real estate to work his bicycle, McGregor may find it difficult to find his target. Even Max Kellerman thinks that McGregor may not land a punch on Mayweather. That may sound like an exaggeration, but Kellerman may have at the very least meant this is a clear mismatch.

Odds and Prediction

Mayweather is a -1100 favorite to defeat McGregor, who is a sharp underdog at +700. The odds are expected to move once the Irish money starts coming in. But in reality, this line reflects the mismatch we could be seeing. Mayweather was one of boxing’s best defensive genius. He was a very smart fighter who employed the hit and run tactic like no other. If the fastest of opponents in Pacquiao and the hardest hitting in Cotto could not lay their hands on him, what chance does McGregor have?

Conor McGregor may be here primarily for the money. He’s set to make more for this single bout than what he’ll earn in his entire MMA career. But you can’t count him out because he does have punching power and speed. If his left hand connects, it’s going to be a different story. The problem is, well, if it doesn’t connect. Without his leg kicks setting up his left hand, it’s going to be a long night for Conor McGregor. Mayweather is going to dance his way to $100M. Mayweather wins this easily. No knockdowns, no dramatics. It’s just going to be a boxing lesson from the best boxer ever. Floyd Mayweather Jr. by a very very unanimous decision.

UFC 205: Conor McGregor vs. Eddie Alvarez Betting Odds and Prediction

Sports News & Picks, , , , , , ,

Conor McGregor continues to chase history as he challenges Eddie Alvarez for the UFC Lightweight title at the main event of UFC 205.

Currently the UFC’s 145-pound kingpin, McGregor hopes to become the first fighter in UFC history to hold two world titles at the same time. To do that, he has to take out the tough and durable Philly native in Alvarez on Saturday, November 12th.

Six in A Row

For the sixth fight in a row, McGregor opened as the betting favorite. He’s lost just once during that period and that was to Nate Diaz at UFC 196.

Against Alvarez, the Irishman opened at -125 against the Underground King who was initially pegged at -105. Now that the fight is barely a week away, McGregor’s numbers have improved although not by much. The Irishman is walking the lines at the  -145 to -160 range. Alvarez, meanwhile, has fallen back +120 to +133 although those odds still say this one’s nearly a pick’em fight.

Not Going The Distance

As for the fight, the oddsmakers have installed a line of -260 for the fight not going the distance and a +200 it goes to a decision. Eighteen of McGregor’s 20 wins have been by stoppage and 17 of those by knockout. On the other hand, Alvarez has 15 knockouts and 7 submissions in 28 total wins. Because of this, the oddsmakers have installed a line of -260 for the fight not going the distance and a +200 it goes to a decision.

Length Matters

Conor McGregor’s left hand is legendary. Even Alvarez admits that it’s his main weapon. But McGregor isn’t just a one-armed bandit. He’s sensational on his feet. Notorious has power, timing and accuracy. Eddie Alvarez himself is an excellent boxer and that makes this an exciting striking affair. But McGregor’s five inch reach advantage should be the difference here.

In his seven UFC fights prior to Nate Diaz, he had the reach advantage. He won all of those bouts.

No Wrestling Disadvantage

McGregor’s perceived weakness is his ground game. But if you take a look at his second bout with the bigger Nate Diaz, the Irishman stuffed 6 of 7 takedown attempts. Many people also forget that during his 2013 bout with Max Holloway, Mystic Mac nailed down 4 of 5 takedown attempts. Fans betting on Alvarez point to his wrestling as his advantage. After all, Alvarez beat Gilbert Melendez and Anthony Pettis by dragging the fight to the ground. But if you take a look at the stats, Alvarez has landed only 29% of his total takedowns in 4 UFC bouts. That’s not gonna be good enough.

Take away McGregor’s advantages, Eddie Alvarez is a solid fighter coming off a first round KO over Rafael Dos Anjos. That’s impressive. However, McGregor not only is the better technical striker, he’s also much longer. Once he feels Conor’s power, he will try to bring the fight to the ground. McGregor’s 70% takedown defense will hold and eventually, Alvarez will either get knocked out in the first 8 minutes or have his face re-arranged after 5 rounds as McGregor promised.

One way or another, the bet is Conor McGregor this weekend, and history awaits.

Conor McGregor Could Have Hands Full vs. Eddie Alvarez at UFC 205

Sports News & Picks, , , ,

After all was said and done, the UFC turned to its most bankable superstar to headline its highly anticipated New York debut.

Can’t Wait

Dubbed as “Can’t Wait”, the announcement of McGregor vs. Alvarez made UFC 205 perhaps the most highly awaited event of all-time.

Earlier, the UFC had announced two title fights for its Madison Square Garden debut. Welterweight champion Tyron Woodley will defend his belt against top contender Stephen Thompson while womens’ Strawweight queen Joanna Jedrzejczyk will face fellow Karolina Kowalkiewicz in an all-Polish showdown.

But despite those two title fights, UFC 205 seemed lacking luster. On Monday, the UFC added the crown jewel:

Back and Forth

The confirmation of the McGregor-Alvarez Lightweight title bout came as a surprise because the week before, UFC President Dana White had said that he would prefer that McGregor defends his 145-pound title against nemesis Jose Aldo.

Prior to that, there were rumors that the Irishman’s foot injury hadn’t healed yet and that he would not be ready to fight in New York. White also tweeted to a fan that it would be Khabib Nurmagomedov who would be facing Alvarez in the latter’s first title defense. But as fate would have it, UFC 205 would not be the blockbuster that it is expected to be without the UFC’s main man.

Two-Division Champion

When Conor McGregor  began 2016, his goal was to win a second world title. But when Rafael Dos Anjos pulled out of their UFC 196 bout with an injury, McGregor went on to face Nate Diaz at UFC 196. McGregor lost and spent the next couple of months redeeming himself from the loss that derailed his plans to take over the UFC.

The Notorious King got his revenge at UFC 202, beating Diaz by decision. Now that he’s on track once again, the quest to become the third man to win two weight classes in the UFC has continued. A win by McGregor will not only let him join the company of B.J. Penn and Randy Couture, it will make McGregor the first man to hold two title belts concurrently.

Philly’s Pride

Beating Alvarez won’t be a walk in the park, though. The former two-time Bellator Lightweight champion is on a roll. After losing to Donald Cerrone in his UFC debut, he’s racked up three consecutive victories. Those wins weren’t just ordinary ones. They  came at the expense of Gilbert Melendez, Anthony Pettis and Rafael Dos Anjos.

For his part, Alvarez got his wish. After sensationally knocking out Dos Anjos last July 7th, Alvarez demanded a big money fight with the winner of McGregor-Diaz. He got it, and what follows is without a doubt one of the best UFC fight cards we’ve ever witnessed.

UFC 205 will be held on November 12th, 2016 at the fabled Madison Square Garden in New York. Naturally, we can’t wait.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. Back to Chase Money and 50th Win?

Sports News & Picks, , , , , , ,

The rumors of a Floyd Mayweather comeback are catching fire. That’s because the former number one pound for pound fighter in boxing has returned to gym to train. In a video posted by Mayweather himself via Instagram, the undefeated Mayweather is shown doing jump rope and a light workout:

Staying on Top

Mayweather ruled the sport of boxing during a legendary career which began with a bronze medal during the 1996 Olympic games in Atlanta. 49 professional fights later, Mayweather retired unbeaten and on top of the boxing world, tying the record of the great Rocky Marciano.

But even after Mayweather announced his retirement immediately after beating Andre Berto last September, many were not convinced he would stay retired for too long. For someone who has an unquenchable thirst for money and an unending quest for greatness, returning for fight number 50 seemed inevitable.

Win Number 50

Win number 50 would not only create separation between him and Rocky Marciano, it will also put him on a pedestal no mortal has ever been before. Mayweather may be turning 40 come February but when he fought Berto last September, he showed no signs of aging nor slowing down.

Earlier this year, Mayweather created a lot of buzz when he was rumored to be fighting MMA superstar Conor McGregor in a crossover boxing bout that would’ve reportedly earned each of them $100M. Money has always been in Mayweather’s mind and he’s always declared that he won’t return for a fight where he won’t earn at least $100M.

McGregor went on to fight Nate Diaz earlier this month but after a McGregor victory, the talks of a Mayweather vs. McGregor bout resurfaced when McGregor admitted that his future plans could involve doing business outside the UFC. Of course that cryptic statement could have meant doing movies, but it could also have meant a fight with Mayweather.

Mayweather’s rival Manny Pacquiao also ended his retirement by announcing a November bout with WBO welterweight champion Jessie Vargas. Mayweather and Pacquiao fought to the highest grossing PPV boxing event of All-time in May of 2015. Pacquiao has maintained that a shoulder injury led to his defeat. The Filipino Senator is now training to fight once again. A rematch between the two may not be likely. But if Mayweather returns and Pacman wins in November, it could be well talked about once again.

Other options like Danny Garcia, Keith Thurman, Shawn Porter and even Kell Brook. Mayweather was even once linked to a catchweight bout with Gennady Golovkin.