Floyd Mayweather Jr. used his superior boxing skills and stamina to defeat a game but outmatched Conor McGregor by technical knockout in the 10th round during a super-welterweight fight Saturday night in Las Vegas.
The best from Times boxing writer Lance Pugmire and columnists Dylan Hernandez and Bill Plaschke leading up to the fight:
- Hernandez: Mayweather vs. McGregor is more farce that fight
- Pugmire: McGregor, Mayweather offer one last bit of drama before settling it in the ring
- Plaschke: Spectacle or sham? Mayweather-McGregor is outside the box and we can’t look away
- Graphic: Side by side: What’s going down when Mayweather and McGregor enter the ring
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Less-than-capacity crowd still paid dividends for Mayweather-McGregor gate
The T-Mobile Arena attendance Saturday for the Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Conor McGregor fight was 14,623, about 6,000 shy of the capacity crowd for the Canelo Alvarez-Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. bout in May.
“You’re not going to always get it right,” Mayweather Promotions CEO Leonard Ellerbe told the Los Angeles Times Saturday night after the bout.
“It’s all about delivery. The fans who were here enjoyed themselves.”
Mayweather’s powerful manager, Al Haymon, set prices for UFC champion McGregor’s pro-boxing debut that matched Mayweather’s 2015 victory over seven-division champion Manny Pacquiao — $10,000 for floor seats, and nothing in the lower bowl for less than $3,500.
One section appeared mostly empty in the building, and the massive number of Irish seen on the Strip were noticeably not represented the arena.
Yet, the prices did accomplish the intended goal.
Mayweather said after the bout that the money generated from the bout set a new live-gate record fro combat sports of nearly $80 million.
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Mayweather reaches 50-0 with 10th round TKO over McGregor
Floyd Mayweather Jr. closed out his distinguished career at 50-0. UFC champion Conor McGregor lasted into the 10th round in his pro boxing debut against the best boxer of his generation.
So, both men could declare victory Saturday night in their novelty boxing match at T-Mobile Arena.
Mayweather, 40, set aside the ills of age after a slow start, finding his groove to hammer McGregor with a series of punches that led to a 10th-round technical-knockout victory in front of 14,623 spectators, well shy of T-Mobile’s capacity of more than 20,000.
“He’s a lot better than I thought he was, but I was the better man,” Mayweather said.
Mayweather did little offensively in the first four rounds, as McGregor landed clean jabs, punches and even some dubious mixed martial arts-inspired hammer fists to the back of the head.
But Mayweather soon reverted to the master tactician who knows how to win rounds, peppering McGregor with an impressive three-punch series of right hands in the sixth round.
His accuracy and tempo increased into the ninth, when McGregor resorted to desperate holds after being hurt by blows. Mayweather perfectly timed what he said was a strategy to test McGregor’s cardio endurance beyond the longest possible UFC fight.
“We know in MMA he fights for 25 minutes,” Mayweather said. “After 25 minutes, he started to slow down.”
Said McGregor: “I thought I took the early rounds pretty handily. He had to change his style, and he adjusted.”
In the 10th, Mayweather crushed McGregor with three hard rights as part of an onslaught that convinced referee Robert Byrd to stop the fight 1 minute 5 seconds into the round.
“I was just a little fatigued,” McGregor said. “He was just a lot more composed with his shots. I have to give it to him. That’s what 50 pro fights will do for you.”
All three judges had Mayweather leading at the stoppage. Dave Moretti had it 87-83, Burt Clements 89-82 and Guido Cavalleri had it 89-81.
I guaranteed everybody this fight wouldn’t go the distance
— Floyd Mayweather Jr.
“I guaranteed everybody this fight wouldn’t go the distance,” Mayweather said. “Boxing’s reputation was on the line. Boxing’s a hell of a sport.”
Mayweather’s previous fight, against Manny Pacquiao in May 2015, was not a great night for the sport. It was dull and plodding.
“I owed [fans] for the Pacquiao fight,” Mayweather said. “I said I wouldn’t back down.”
McGregor proudly hung in as total punches landed were 88-82 in Mayweather’s favor after seven rounds. He also showed an impressive jab, landing 27 to Mayweather’s 18.
In the end, Mayweather out-landed McGregor 170-111 in total punches, and 152-84 in power punches.
But McGregor can boast that nine of Mayweather’s opponents in 12-round fights landed fewer than 100 punches in the entire bout. McGregor posted his 111 in less than 10 full rounds.
“When you’re here in the squared circle, everything is different,” McGregor said. “He’s composed. Not that fast or powerful, but, boy, is he composed.”
McGregor embraced Mayweather afterward, the pair sharing complimentary words.
“Conor’s a hell of a champion,” Mayweather said.
After the fight, McGregor said he thought Byrd should have let the bout go on, even though he didn’t immediately dispute the stoppage in the ring after ducking and showing no willingness to throw a punch to answer Mayweather’s attack.
“Let me try to recompose myself,” the 29-year-old McGregor said. “I’m brand new to the sport. Let me walk back to my corner.”
He was left to accept a moral triumph of sorts, knowing more millions of dollars await as he promised to return to UFC fighting, far prouder than he was when he lost to Nate Diaz in a UFC fight last year.
“I’ve been strangled on live TV and came back,” McGregor cracked.
Before the fight, UFC executives described McGregor’s involvement in the longshot attempt to defeat Mayweather as a “win-win,” thanks to the massive mainstream attention Saturday’s unique event brought him and the organization.
It could be the richest pay-per-view fight of all time.
There was no shame in losing to Mayweather, the UFC executives reasoned, noting that seven-division champion Pacquiao, along with four-division champions Miguel Cotto and Juan Manuel Marquez, had been convincingly defeated by the tactician.
“What can I say? I had a bit of fun and hopefully entertained the fans,” McGregor said.
When the fight was over, Mayweather committed to a life in retirement — although he has come back three times after calling it quits previously — and said he’ll earn more than $300 million for this fight.
“This was my last fight tonight. For sure,” Mayweather said. “I look forward to going into the Hall of Fame someday.”
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Commendable showing for McGregor in defeat
Going into his fight with Floyd Mayweather Saturday night, there was widespread dismissiveness of Conor McGregor’s chances. He didn’t belong in the ring with Mayweather. He wouldn’t land a punch. Given that backdrop, McGregor and his supporters have to take some solace and even pride in his knockout defeat. McGregor looked like he belonged with a boxing icon, and it made for an entertaining fight.
Early on, Mayweather appeared to have difficulty figuring McGregor out. As the fight progressed, Mayweather found more openings and began to land with regularity. More important, McGregor tired, as he often has in longer MMA fights. McGregor’s downfall was that cardio and not an inability to compete with Mayweather. McGregor also forced Mayweather to step up his aggression and score the sort of impressive finish that Mayweather hasn’t always delivered.
After the fight, Mayweather acknowledged that McGregor was better than he expected. McGregor was positively glowing with enthusiasm, clearly pleased with the performance he delivered. He secured a massive payday and may have raised his status in the process. If McGregor returns to MMA (and he said he would after the fight), his fights will be even bigger events than they were prior to his boxing foray.
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Round 10: Mayweather scores TKO win over McGregor
Mayweather is landing several strong punches and it looks like this is going to end. Ref Robert Byrd stops the fight with McGregor almost out on his feet.
Mayweather gets the win, but McGregor showed amazing heart.
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Round 9: Mayweather puts McGregor in trouble
Great start of the round by McGregor with a nice body shot that hurt Mayweather.
McGregor is being the aggressor again in this round. Mayweather seems to be content to defend this round. Good right by Mayweather. Good combo by Mayweather and McGregor looks hurt.
This could be it. Solid combination by Mayweather has McGregor struggling to make it out of the round. Mayweather keeps coming forward and McGregor is in trouble.
Will he make it out of the round? Mayweather is opening on McGregor, who is basically out on his feet.
Great round by Mayweather and this may do it. I don’t see McGregor getting through this.
LA Times Card: 10-9 Mayweather (86-85 Mayweather)
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Round 8: McGregor wins close round; fight even
Mayweather looking loose this round, although McGregor is landing some nice shots. Nice exchange for both fighters.
Not a lot of action in the round but this is the best round for McGregor since the third. Nice combination by McGregor.
A very close round. McGregor might have gotten it. But this will be the round that could be key in how the judges call it.
LA Times Card: 10-9 McGregor (76-76 even)
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Round 7: Power punches finally landing for Mayweather; McGregor tiring
Lots of clutching in this round, and it looks like McGregor is tiring a bit and is looking to recharge a bit.
A good combo by Mayweather, and it forces McGregor to clinch. McGregor looks fatigued a bit. Mayweather is landing some hard rights. McGregor doesn’t look like he has many answers at this point.
Mayweather seems to be landing his shots easily. Another solid round for Mayweather. He is now in front.
LA Times Card: 10-9 Mayweather (67-66 Mayweather)
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Round 6: Best round of the night for Mayweather; fight is even
Mayweather turns his back on McGregor and the ref has to separate the two after some punches to the back of the head.
Nice rights by Mayweather, and he is finally looking like the best of his generation. McGregor is looking tired and not solid on his feet.
Good response by McGregor as he looks recuperated. The two are smiling in the middle of the ring. This seems like the round that it turns around for Mayweather.
Some nice chants for McGregor, and he showboats a bit by putting his hands behind his back again. The best round of the night for Mayweather. It’s even.
LA Times Card: 10-9 Mayweather (57-57 even)
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Round 5: Close round to Mayweather; McGregor tiring
Slower start to the fifth round. McGregor is landing his jab effectively. Mayweather is looking slow, lack of his footwork is evident.
Mayweather is finally trying to take the action to McGregor but suprisingly McGregor has been able to evade them. McGregor is looking a little tired now.
Not a ton of action, but Mayweather looks like he may be imposing his will. He even got a little push in after the bell.
LA Times Card: 10-9 Mayweather (48-47 McGregor)
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Round 4: Close round that goes to Mayweather
McGregor throwing some combinations early in the round. They didn’t hurt Mayweather but this is pretty shocking so far. There is nothing of the action from Mayweather that he promised.
Mayweather is waking up a bit with a couple of quick jabs. Best round so far by Mayweather as McGregor is looking a little tired.
Mayweather missing with some strong jabs. A close round but it’s the first one for Mayweather.
LA Times Card: 10-9 Mayweather (39-37 McGregor)
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Round 3: McGregor gets another one but is fighting a bit dirty
McGregor is getting away with a couple of rabbit punches and he continues to look the aggressor. The McGregor crowd is getting into it. More rabbit punches to the back of the head by McGregor.
McGregor with a couple of nice jabs in the middle of the ring. Mayweather must be trying to tire out McGregor because he doesn’t seem to be very interested in throwing many punches.
Not much action again and is this really happening? A better round by Mayweather but McGregor might be on a 3-0 run.
LA Times Card: 10-9 McGregor (30-27 McGregor)
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Round 2: Another good round for McGregor
Mayweather content with sitting in the corner and waiting on McGregor to come to him. Mayweather is just measuring up McGregor right now and not a lot of action in the second.
McGregor is switching up and has landed a couple of nice rights to Mayweather’s face. McGregor looks like he belongs and Mayweather isn’t doing anything at all, barely throwing punches.
McGregor is missing more than landing, but Mayweather isn’t throwing any punches. Close round but it goes to McGregor beacuse of more punches landed.
LA Times Card: 10-9 McGregor (20-18 McGregor)
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Round 1: McGregor wins first round with more activity
McGregor starts fast and Mayweather is content to rest on the ropes and wait this out. Very awkward stance by McGregor although his reach seems to be an advantage.
McGregor begins showing off a bit by putting his hands behind his back. Mayweather still trying to figure things out. Nice left by McGregor in the best punch of the night with 30 seconds left.
Nice early for McGregor. He’s got one at least.
L.A. Times Card: 10-9 McGregor
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Mayweather vs. McGregor: Both boxers are in the ring
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National anthems being sung now
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Mayweather vs. McGregor: Start of main event delayed because of outages and orders
The start of Saturday’s Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Conor McGregor boxing match will be delayed briefly, according to Showtime, due to a rash of last-minute fight orders and system outages.
“We have reports of scattered outages from various cable and satellite providers and the online offering,” Showtime reported in a statement. “We will delay the start of the main event slightly to allow for systems to get on track.”
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Mayweather vs. McGregor: It’s showtime, sort of
Tell me it’s not true. You can’t handle the truth. Damn right I can’t.
OK, I’m exaggerating, something that never happens in boxing.
Times boxing writer extraordinaire Lance Pugmire is reporting there may be a delay on the main event because of problems with people being able to buy the pay per view. You’ve known the fight was for months. If you are caught up in the volume, tough luck. But maybe the volume will catch up.
I’ve been in this business long enough to know that boxing promoters care only about the numbers — be it attendance or pay-per-view numbers. Can’t tell you the number of times we’ve been brow beaten, cajoled, beer and dined to help promote their fight. But once the fight is there, you’re on your own. They don’t care. Their job is promotion.
In this case, little promotion was needed. It was like shooting fish in a small pond.
Now, the final warm-up fight is over in eight rounds. Replays showed Gervonta Davis won by hitting his opponent in the back of the head, called a rabbit punch, although it’s unclear that any bunnies use them in everyday life.
In the end, we don’t care. The long, national suffering has gone on long enough. Time to start the main event.
Clearly the main event won’t start at five minutes before the hour (notice the agnostic use of time zones).
But, now it is time. How much time we don’t know although the fact Showtime is showing a long canned feature on Mayweather is not a good sign.
Enjoy the fight. For the behind-the-scene stories, come back here or catch The Times print edition.
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Gervonta Davis wins in lackluster performance against Francisco Fonseca
Gervonta Davis lost his belt by missing weight even before fighting Saturday and his inattention in the ring also led to a more difficult bout than he believed.
Referee Russell Mora controversially awarded Davis an eighth-round knockout victory on a left-handed punch that struck opponent Francisco Fonseca in the back of the head.
Davis (19-0, 18 knockouts) said he hurt Fonseca with a body blow before the punch, and explained that the disputed shot “capped” the damage, although fans who watched replays in the arena booed that thought.
“Everyone saw I was going down from a blow that was not legal,” Fonseca said. “I want a rematch. … Even though he came in at 160 pounds, he didn’t hit as hard as he says he does.”
Davis lost the belt by weighing 132 pounds, two over the junior-lightweight limit Friday, losing his belt and putting the International Boxing Federation title on the line only for the 40/1 underdog Fonseca.
Fonseca (19-1-1) rocked Davis so hard with a punch in the seventh, the former champion was forced to grab the ropes to remain standing.
Davis immediately swinging aggressive uppercuts to open the bout, trying to end the fight impressively, but he was locked in a tougher test than he thought.
Costa Rica’s Fonseca landed a head-jarring punch that forced some flush blows in the third.
Davis responded with a power punch in the fourth and began some showmanship before Fonseca smacked him with a few clean shots.
In the fifth, Davis began showing more seriousness, backing Fonseca with a left, and he landed a hurtful left to the gut in the sixth.
The bout served as the co-main event to the Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Conor McGregor boxing event matching the 49-0, five-division boxing champion against the charismatic UFC champion McGregor, which was not complete at press time.
Davis, after working out under Mayweather’s guidance and training feverishly in a rubber suit Thursday night, revealed again the difficulty some boxers have in making weight.
He apologized on Twitter afterward, posting: “I’m young. I’m growing. I had a chance to make the weight. I knew I couldn’t make it and that’s that. I will have a belt again.
“I lost the belt, not a fight. … I will make it up.”
That left Davis’ stablemate at Mayweather Boxing Club, former super-middleweight champion Badou Jack, to fight for a belt. He succeeded, stopping Nathan Cleverly by fifth-round technical knockout.
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Mayweather vs. McGregor: Gervonta Davis wins controversial co-feature
Floyd Mayweather protege Gervonta Davis was given a tremendous opportunity to advance his career when he was placed in the co-main event position for the Mayweather-McGregor card. It isn’t clear whether the 22-year-old fully appreciated or capitalized on that opportunity, but he picked up a victory either way over Francisco Fonseca.
The troubles started on Friday when Davis missed weight for fight and lost his IBF junior lightweight title on the scale. During the fight, Davis didn’t appear at his best. Fonseca was the more active fighter, landing 86 of 309 punches while Davis landed 104 of 260. Davis landed the harder shots but didn’t dominate as the massive favorite.
The finish to the fight created further problems for Davis. Fonseca went down from an illegal punch to the back of the head. Davis then shoved Fonseca for good measure on the ground, and Fonseca was counted out. Davis was loudly booed by the crowd after being declared the winner and then in the post-fight interview. Davis improves to 19-0 while Fonseca falls to 19-1-1.
With the undercard complete, Mayweather vs. McGregor is next.
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Mayweather vs. McGregor: Ultimate test of Irish MMA superstar’s will on horizon
UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor was interviewed backstage minutes before his legacy defining showdown with boxing great Floyd Mayweather. The outspoken McGregor was as cool and confident as ever.
“I’m going to go out and be myself: free, spontaneous, creative,” McGregor declared to Jim Gray. “Paint a beautiful picture. I see myself truly outclassing this man and putting him to sleep.”
It was a bold proclamation, a man with no professional boxing experience calmly predicting he would outclass arguably the greatest boxer of his generation. However, it’s nothing new for those who have followed McGregor’s rise. Since the beginning of his MMA career, McGregor has seemingly willed improbable facts into existence. He burst onto the UFC scene with some of the most over-the-top trash talking in the history of MMA and then he managed to back it up in the octagon.
After five straight wins to start his UFC career (four via KO/TKO), McGregor was placed in an interim featherweight title bout against Chad Mendes. Many felt Mendes was a terrible stylistic matchup for McGregor: a high-end wrestler who could negate McGregor’s striking. Instead, McGregor knocked him out in two.
McGregor’s rise only accelerated from there. Next up was a showdown with MMA legend Jose Aldo, 25-1 and undefeated for over a decade. McGregor repeatedly badmouthed Aldo and predicted he would be the first to knock the Brazilian superstar out. McGregor then did just that, knocking Aldo out with one punch in just 13 seconds.
McGregor suffered his first UFC setback in his next fight, taking on Nate Diaz at 170 pounds and losing via submission. McGregor lobbied for an immediate rematch. Critics said it was a bad idea to take the fight again. Diaz beat him once and that was with Diaz taking the fight on short notice. Now Diaz would have a full training camp and McGregor didn’t even ask for the fight at 155 pounds, which many felt would be the better weight for the Irishman. McGregor took the challenge and avenged his loss via majority decision. He then took on lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez and knocked him out in two rounds to become the first fighter in UFC history to simultaneously hold titles in two weight classes.
Throughout his rise in MMA, McGregor has faced doubters. They questioned repeatedly whether he was taking on bigger challenges than he could handle. The way he talked so big and then backed it up seemed too good to be true. Now, McGregor is being doubted like never before. Few experts give him much of a shot against a boxer the caliber of Mayweather in Mayweather’s game. Meanwhile, McGregor’s supporters continue to back him. He has given them little reason to doubt him so far. However, this could be the night where his ambition finally proves to be his undoing.
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Mayweather vs. McGregor: Possible delay of main event because of issues with pay-per-view
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McGregor staying calm before the biggest fight of his life
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Mayweather vs. McGregor: Time for the penultimate fight
One fight closer to the main event.
Boy, am I ever a fan of Sweden’s Jack the Ripper? Which in Swedish is Jack Uppskäraren. Thank you Google translate.
He beat the other guy in five rounds. Second of three undercard fights. Gives us a chance to get the main event on earlier.
Sometime during the fight, we saw Conor McGregor enter the arena. He didn’t have earbuds in and was dressed rather well. Don’t know what that means.
Can’t say I actually saw the stoppage. You know, trip to the fridge, man about a horse, all those sorts of things. The second fight is kind of like the third song in a concert, time to visit the concession stand and take care of business.
But anyway you look at it, we’re happy.
Now we have to wait to see how long until the penultimate fight. Penultimate is actually one of my favorite words. It means next to last but a lot of people fixate on the “ultimate” part of that word. There is nothing ultimate in penultimate.
What am I doing? Stretching, just like the Showtime announcers.
Jim Gray is interviewing Conor McGregor in the dressing room. McGregor has his forearm and wrists taped but is still wearing a shirt, tie and vest. An interesting look. He’s speaking calmly while he chews gum. (Umm … Juicy Fruit. Get the movie reference?)
Let’s get rolling and get that penultimate fight in the ring.
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Mayweather vs. McGregor: Badou Jack captures light heavyweight title
In one of the featured bouts of the Mayweather-McGregor undercard, Swedish star Badou Jack (22-1-2) captured the WBA light heavyweight title via fifth-round TKO over Welshman Nathan Cleverly (30-4). Jack dominated the action throughout the contest, leading referee Tony Weeks to stop the bout. Cleverly wasn’t in great trouble at the moment of the stoppage but was taking a sustained beating over time. Jack landed 172 of 442 punches (39%) while Cleverly landed only 82 of 409 (20%).
Jack had fought most of his career at super middleweight and was champion at that weight class, but he elected to move up to light heavyweight for the fight with Cleverly. Despite the fact Jack was moving up in weight, he was the bigger man on the night than the defending light heavyweight champion Cleverly. Jack looked sharp at his new weight class while it was another disappointing setback for Cleverly, who has lost three of his last five.
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Mayweather vs. McGregor: Issues with pay-per-view have viewers on edge
You plan your weekend around it. You call your friends to confirm attendance and make sure they will help cover the $100 price tag and you stock up on food and drink.
Then you flip on the television and press the Order button ready to settle in for what is expected to be the most talked about sporting event of the year.
But then you cringe. You see a notification that there are issues with the pay-per-view telecast. It’s the worst of nightmares.
And it’s happening to a lot of Mayweather vs. McGregor fans. No word yet from UFC Fight Pass on if it can get the issue resolved before the main event.
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Mayweather vs. McGregor: Please, can we speed up this night?
Yeah, one fight is over. Bad news, it went the distance. The young guy won.
OK, listen up all, we want fast fights just in the hope that the main event will start as early as possible. Again, if you’re in L.A., it gets you more party time. If you’re on the East Coast, gets you to bed earlier.
The announcers on Showtime are doing their absolute best to generate excitement and anticipation. Isn’t working. Pretty much everyone knows this fight is, well, shall we kindly say one-sided.
The Showtime faces are doing a segment on what the strategy is for an MMA fighter to beat a boxer. Guess what, strategy is simple: Don’t get hit. And the way to win: Hit your opponent first. All the footwork and angle of punches to an MMA fighter might as well be spoken in Latin.
Only Latin I know is caveat emptor, which is what was flashing before my eyes as I pushed that button on my (no-Dodgers) DirecTV remote control.
TV just flashed to Mayweather walking into the arena with his earbuds on listening to … we don’t know what he’s listening to. Could it be a podcast from NPR or maybe the classic album of Gregorian chants? We’ll never know, but guessing our guesses are wrong.
Next fight is some guy named Jack the Ripper, who ring announcer Jimmy Lennon Jr. says is fighting out of Las Vegas by way of Stockholm. We hear that’s a popular route on Southwest. Lot of peanuts on that long a flight. Bottom line is he’s not from White Chapel.
Whatever the geography, please don’t go the distance.
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Mayweather has arrived to T-Mobile Arena
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Mayweather vs. McGregor: Really, we’ve got almost three hours to go
Over the next few hours, we’ll be providing commentary on the view that most of you have: off a TV in the living room, on your couch.
We all plunked down our $100, with absolutely no interest in the three undercard fights. Wait? Almost three hours to the main event. Don’t know about you but I’m good with just one undercard fight and then on to the main event. But, I guess if you pay $100 you expect more than an hour of entertainment.
Now, think about it if you are on the East Coast, you have to sit through all this starting at 9 p.m. Sure, you could switch over to the Chargers-Rams exhibition game on national TV (who made that decision?). That’s a choice that redefines Einstein’s definition of insanity if you watch that one. Especially in the second half when the starters are gone.
Couple of guys named Tabiti and Cunningham are fighting right now. Cunningham is 41 years old, but he’s fighting a real boxer. There will probably be only one 40-year-old winning tonight. Whoever wins I won’t know if it is an upset or not.
Wait, they just cut away to a sasquatch holding a mythical title belt.
This is going to be a long night.
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Mayweather vs. McGregor: Lou DiBello, Lance Pugmire, Bill Plaschke discuss the fight
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Mayweather vs. McGregor: 4 $1-million bets have been placed on Mayweather
One of the most interesting things to follow during the run-up to the Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Conor McGregor fight is the betting action.
While the majority of the bets have been placed for McGregor, the money that has been bet most heavily is on Mayweather.
Several brave souls have put $1 million on Mayweather with a payout of about $200,000.
If McGregor somehow pulls off the impossible and beats Mayweather there will be a lot of unhappy bettors, and bookmakers, in Vegas.
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Mayweather vs. McGregor: A look inside T-Mobile Arena
We are still about five hours away from the opening bell of the Mayweather vs. McGregor fight, but the expectation and excitement that has been slowly building all week is about to hit a fever pitch.
The doors of T-Mobile Arena don’t open for another hour but the crowds have started gathering outside the venue.
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Mayweather vs. McGregor: Tickets still unsold; cheapest seat is about $1,350
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Mayweather vs. McGregor: Floyd is a genius
I received a text message yesterday from a friend, who might or might not happen to also be a co-worker.
“Just bought the fight, like a total mark,” he wrote.
The same friend also wagered $200 on Floyd Mayweather Jr. to knock out Conor McGregor, which could earn him a $100 profit.
Actually, “profit” might be the wrong word, since that $100 will cover the cost of the pay-per-view broadcast.
“So I basically risked $200 to win the $100 that I just lit on fire,” my friend said. “Floyd Mayweather is a [expletive] genius.”
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Mayweather vs. McGregor predictions: Will a kick to Mayweather’s head end it?
Conor McGregor is going to get kicked out of this fight. Seriously. Literally. This is how it will end.
It will be the eighth round. Floyd Mayweather Jr. will be completely in control, frustrating the wild-swinging McGregor with his elusiveness and balance, landing enough punches to occasionally stagger McGregor but not quick enough to knock him down.
McGregor will slowly become bloody, his face slowly swelling from the beating, his eyes growing wide from the stark realization that boxing is not his sport and this is not a fight he can win.
So, what the hell, in the middle of the eighth round, he’ll kick him. McGregor will drop his hands, lift his left leg, and kick Mayweather smack in the side of the face.
He’ll kick him like he’s kicked his 24 UCF opponents. This is what McGregor does. This is who he is. It will be the first moment in the entire fight that he will seem comfortable. The kick will come as natural to him as his next breath.
Mayweather will stagger back in shock, the crowd will scream, referee Robert Byrd will stop the fight by disqualification, McGregor will shrug and smile, and everyone will immediately start scrambling around to make the rematch.
Yes, McGregor could contractually lose as much as 90 percent of his potential $100 million purse if he reverts to any MMA moves. But the future publicity it would bring him and the UFC would be priceless.
Admit it. You know this could happen. You’re probably cheering for this to happen. Why else would you be watching this fight?
-- BILL PLASCHKE, Times columnist
Conor McGregor has said much about defeating Floyd Mayweayther Jr. on Saturday night.
But let’s be serious.
Now that the fight is at hand and McGregor has ensured prize money that should exceed $100 million, everything that follows the opening bell will be about how to spin this forward.
Mayweather will pick McGregor apart in a true boxing match, so McGregor has to bring the fight to Mayweather in the early rounds. He has to hope that being close and landing one of his heavy left hands will affect the40-year-old, five-division world champion who hasn’t fought in almost two years.
I would argue McGregor doesn’t even have a puncher’s chance given Mayweather’s first interest in defense.
Mayweather “can go 12 rounds in his sleep,” as gifted Southland trainer Manny Robles told me, so he can be intent to let McGregor start to tire after three rounds of intense pursuit. Then he will begin to dismantle the Irishman with jabs, body shots and clean punches.
This form of execution is Mayweather’s choice, captured in Mayweather’s faked hand pistol shots at McGregor during Friday’s animated weigh-in at T-Mobile Arena.
The fact that this fight is entertainment first does give me pause to strongly consider if McGregor, at some point in frustration, attempts some rough play allowed only in MMA fights as part of an exit strategy back to UFC.
And I’ve also wondered how “Money” Mayweather can’t consider the idea of walking into a heavy punch, taking a loss and setting up two more fights for even more cash.
But I’ll give Mayweather’s interest and dedication in boxing the benefit of the doubt here, and say he’s going to underline his belief that his sport is the king of combat sports.
Through repeated blows in a technical masterpiece, Mayweather wins by eighth-round technical knockout and heads back to retirement with a 50-0 record.
-- LANCE PUGMIRE, Times boxing writer
Admittedly, I haven’t been around Conor McGregor much. But I can tell you the McGregor who was in Los Angeles for the first stop of his four-city press tour with Floyd Mayweather Jr. last month isn’t the same person I’ve seen this week.
McGregor has looked scared in Las Vegas, and understandably so. This isn’t a fight. This is the best boxer of his generation attacking a practically defenseless man.
Mayweather’s 40, but that shouldn’t make a different. Mayweather could be 50 and he would still be favored here.
Mayweather has said he would take the fight to McGregor and while that seems out of character for him, I’m inclined to believe him.
Mayweather walked down Zab Judah, whom he correctly determined was incapable of throwing punches while in retreat.
He also walked down Shane Mosley. Judah was once an undisputed welterweight champion. Mosley is a future Hall of Famer. If Mayweather can stalk and dismantle fighters of their quality, he can certainly do the same to a novice such as McGregor.
How long the fight lasts is entirely up to Mayweather. I wouldn’t be surprised if he tries to blast out McGregor early, which could prevent the audience from seeing the extent of McGregor’s incompetence.
Doing so might even earn him some undue credit for the farcical win. The more likely scenario is that Mayweather takes his time, advances behind a high guard, methodically breaks down McGregor and stops him between the fourth and seventh rounds.
Something to keep in mind: the longer the fight lasts, the more head shots McGregor will take and the more likely he gets seriously injured in this fight. Referee Robert Byrd better be alert.
Prediction: Mayweather wins by fourth-round knockout.
-- DYLAN HERNANDEZ, Times columnist
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The specter of race hangs over Mayweather-McGregor fight
Gerry Cooney said he was caught off guard by the idea that race was part of the equation in his 1982 heavyweight title fight against Larry Holmes. And now he finds it’s unfortunate that there’s still a “Great White Hope” element to UFC champion Conor McGregor’s fight Saturday night against Floyd Mayweather Jr.
“To the small little percentage of people who talk about [the fight] for a day, yes,” race is part of the fight, Conney told The Times.
“After that, it’s gone. I hated all that stuff with Holmes, but when we got in the center of the ring and [referee] Mills Lane gave me instructions, we said, ‘Let’s have a good fight.’ That’s what it’s about. That’s sportsmanship.”
One-hundred and seven years ago, Jack Johnson defeated James J. Jeffries in a heavyweight boxing match that spawned the term “Great White Hope” in reference to Jeffries, who lost.
Race surfaced between the fighters during the Mayweather-McGregor press tour, when McGregor told Mayweather, “Dance for me, boy,” on one stop, then called him a monkey , according to Mayweather.
The fighters mostly avoided that kind of talk this week, but in a Fox News interview on his media day, Mayweather spoke as if he’ll remember the slur during the bout.
“Ten seconds before the fight, I want him to call me ‘monkey,’” Mayweather said. “When I drop him, I’m going to say, ‘Get up, monkey.’”
Cooney felt some backlash from fans after he lost to Holmes by 13th-round technical knockout. He said McGregor could face the same if he doesn’t fare well – as expected – against the 49-0 Mayweather, whose villainous persona has helped make him the top pay-per-view fighter in history.
“That could be,” Cooney said. “[McGregor’s] such a promoter, such a vibrant guy, such a great athlete, but there can be that [backlash] because he can be embarrassed in there fighting a guy like Floyd Mayweather. [Support from McGregor’s newer fans] could be very short-lived and it could very embarrassing. And Maywerather’s used to doing that.
“Floyd Mayweather’s going to do what he does: cover up on the ropes, shoulder roll, counter-punch, counter-punch … you remember seeing Marcos Maidana-Floyd Mayweather? Great fight for Maidana, for six, seven rounds … once he got tired, it was all over for him. That’s what I see for McGregor in some aspects, unless all of a sudden, at 40, Mayweather got old. I don’t think he did, because he’s in shape all the time.
“It’s a great promotion. A lot of people are talking bad about it. It did have nastiness and ugliness, but everyone always wants to know who’s tougher. What I want to see is how the corners break it down, how does Mayweather adjust, does Mayweather do the same old stuff, or is he going to be more aggressive?”
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A look back at Floyd Mayweather’s last fake fight
Saturday night’s mega-fight between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Conor McGregor for the world’s P.T. Barnum title belt has fascinated America like few mismatches in recent sports history. What would the brilliant Pulitzer Prize-winning L.A. Times sports columnist Jim Murray have said about this? Why, it’s the Titanic and the iceberg.
And the iceberg always wins.
But it also harkens back to another circus that Mayweather was involved in: Wrestlemania 24 at Orlando’s Citrus Bowl on March 30, 2008.
The diminutive, by comparison, Mayweather was going up against The Big Show (real name Paul Donald Wright II), whose stats were said to be 7 feet and almost 400 pounds of both muscle and the opposite of muscle. Any way you look at it, he was a big guy. It was a no-disqualification match, of course.
I was there to cover and coordinate coverage of that event for our sister newspaper, the Orlando Sentinel, which did near record digital numbers that night — but nothing like The Times should do Saturday, with its world-best digital coverage of the Mayweather-McGregor fight.) I was a legitimate journalist at an illegitimate event, but I was more than OK with it.
I grew up watching championship wrestling from Florida every Saturday afternoon. There was the golden voice of Gordon Solie, the Vin Scully, Chick Hearn and Bob Miller of pro wrestling all rolled into one. He may have invented the phrases “squared circle” and “crimson mask,” but even if he didn’t, I give him credit for them.
My colleague Houston Mitchell and I were among the first mainstream journalists to blow the lid off steroid and drug abuse in pro wrestling on the front page of The Times in 1992. Looking back, it might have been one of the biggest no-brainer, obvious stories ever.
So I knew that there was absolutely no question the Mayweather-Show match, along with every other one on the card, was an absolute “work” (code for fake).
The promoters had to come up with an ending that allowed both commodities — wrestling and boxing — to appear to be winners.
Here’s how they did it.
Mayweather started with the style we’ve grown accustomed to, running around the ring, eluding contact like a live chicken that knows it’s on the menu for that night. Mayweather connected with some body shots, a big target, and even caught Show on the jaw. At one point, he stopped for a drink of water as Show lumbered about the ring.
Show then headed for a corner and took out one of Mayweather’s entourage and dragged another into the ring. Mayweather just watched until he finally started hitting Show. The big guy lifted Mayweather, who was able to get on Show’s back and apply a sleeper hold, which is really just a chokehold from behind.
Show eventually dumped Mayweather to the ground and started beating on him. Mayweather’s entourage, fearing the mythical worst, dragged the champ from the ring. But Show went after him, swatting away the entourage and dragging Mayweather back to the ring.
Show was about to conduct a choke-slam, which is just what it sounds like, when Mayweather got hit with a chair by one of the entourage. Show choke-slams the helper, and then Mayweather hits Show with a chair. Show blocks a second chair shot, but Mayweather retaliates with a low blow. Mayweather then hits Show with a few more chair shots.
Finally, Mayweather goes to what’s left of his entourage, pulls out a pair of brass knuckles and floors Show with a right. (Note to self: If in a fight, brass knuckles work better than a chair or multiple chairs.)
Show is counted out, and Mayweather wins. The crowd, said to be 74,635 (but wrestling crowds are sometimes counted the same as inauguration crowds) didn’t like the result.
The match lasted 11 minutes and 40 seconds.
That was Mayweather’s last fake fight.
With millions of state-regulated dollars having been bet on Saturday night’s fight, surely the organizers can’t be pulling a “work.”
But if in the fifth or so round, heretofore dominated by Mayweather, McGregor pulls some illegal MMA move and knocks Mayweather down and a disqualification ensues, you wonder how many people are going to think that it turned out well for both sports.
Boxing gets the win and dominates the fight. Mixed martial arts gets to keep the tough guy’s street-fighting reputation. And both sports get to keep our money.
Nah, could never happen.
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Heavily pro-McGregor crowd starts fight weekend festivities at weigh-in
Conor McGregor met the super-welterweight boxing weight limit for his Saturday match against Floyd Mayweather Jr., weighing in at 153 pounds Friday at T-Mobile Arena.
Within view of the boxing ring where McGregor will take the unprecedented steps to become the first reigning UFC champion to engage in a pro boxing match, the 49-0 former five-division boxing champion Mayweather weighed 149 1/2.
“That’s the worst shape he’s ever looked,” McGregor said. “I’ll stomp my foot on his head. I see a man afraid.”
A festive pro-McGregor crowd waving orange, white and green Irish flags and belting out songs rooted in their native land roared for McGregor, who confronts steep odds likely beyond the current 4/1 line supported by his die-hard fans.
Scalpers were hawking free tickets to the sold-out weigh-in for $65 outside the arena.
The heavy betting money, such as the single $1-million bet Friday at MGM Grand, supports Mayweather, but bookmakers say 95% of the action they take is on McGregor, a devastating UFC striker who captured featherweight and lightweight belts simultaneously within a year’s time.
“Weight doesn’t win fights,” Mayweather said. “Fighting wins fights. It won’t go the distance, mark my word. This will become McGregor’s last fight also.”
He added: “I’m used to fights of this magnitude.”
The weigh-in was preceded by a highlight package shown in the arena of the four-stop international press tour in which the fighters exchanged flurries of verbal digs.
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Watch Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor weigh in
The Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Conor McGregor weigh-in will be streamed live starting at 3 p.m. The window will automatically refresh when the transmission begins.
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Scalpers asking $65 for Mayweather vs. McGregor weigh-in tickets
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A first look at the ring for Mayweather vs. McGregor
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Irish have arrived in Las Vegas for Mayweather vs. McGregor
One of the more interesting things to watch in the run-up to the Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Conor McGregor fight has been the huge support the MMA star receives from Irish fans.
A large base of Irish fans was expected to descend on Las Vegas this week to support McGregor, their native son.
Based on the video, it appears support is strong, especially for Friday’s weigh-in.
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Crowd forming outside T-Mobile Arena before the Mayweather-McGregor weigh-in
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Mayweather reflects on his career following final training session
Floyd Mayweather Jr. had hit the bags, then strenuously exercised late Thursday night before shadow-boxing against a mirror, throwing punches and inspecting himself one more time.
The 40-year-old boxer had completed his final training session for what he says will be his final fight, Saturday’s boxing match against UFC champion Conor McGregor.
“It’s just my job. From day one, this is what I signed up for,” Mayweather told The Times following the session. “I’m here to fight, and that’s what it is. Twenty-one years as a professional. … I’ve been on top for a long, long time — basically my whole career.”
A win on Saturday would allow Mayweather to retire at 50-0, one better than the famed record at retirement by late former heavyweight champion Rocky Marciano.
“There’s a lot of legendary champions,” Mayweather said. “You keep hearing a lot of different names. You keep hearing Rocky Marciano. I take my hat off to Rocky Marciano. He’s one of the legends who paved the way for me to be where I’m at, and I’m thankful.”
At that point, Mayweather’s eyes began to dampen.
“I can say I gave the sport my whole life,” he said. “This is the only thing I’ve ever done. I didn’t give the sport my whole life to say there’s another fighter better than me. If I felt like there’s another fighter better than Floyd Mayweather, then I probably would’ve taken an ‘L’ a long time ago.”
Mayweather trained at his Mayweather Boxing Club here, where his final workout attracted an estimated 200 people. Among those were current unbeaten welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr., former four-division champion Adrien Broner and current unbeaten junior lightweight champion Gervonta Davis.
Before leaving the building, Mayweather spent about 15 minutes advising Davis in the ring as the youngest current world champion prepares for his title defense Saturday.
“I’m going to continue to train and help fighters grow, work with fighters,” Mayweather said. “It’s all about giving back. ... I am the face of combat sports. I don’t think there’s a fighter in MMA or boxing that didn’t say, ‘I want to do something like Floyd Mayweather … maybe not everything, but something like Floyd Mayweather.’ ”
Mayweather admitted the grind of training takes a toll, especially at 40.
“I’ve done this my whole life, so even when I was away from the sport [following his September 2015 retirement], I didn’t miss boxing,” he said.
“I’m not worried about [sentimental feelings]. That’s what I signed up for from day one, to be a fighter. And it’s still about the best fighting the best in combat sports.”
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McGregor reiterates that he’ll make weight this afternoon
As Friday’s weigh-in nears at 3 p.m., Conor McGregor maintained that he will not have a problem meeting the 154-pound limit for his Saturday night boxing match against Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Mayweather and some in his camp have speculated that McGregor (22-3 in mixed martial arts) looks big, hinting that he wouldn’t make weight. However, at a Wednesday news conference, McGregor said it was a non-issue.
“That’s wishful thinking on his part,” McGregor said. “I’ve never missed weight in my life.”
McGregor last fought in November for the UFC’s lightweight belt, where he met a 155-pound limit before stopping then-champion Eddie Alvarez by a second-round technical knockout.
McGregor has twice fought against Nate Diaz at the 170-pound welterweight limit. And he made the 145-pound featherweight limit in December 2015, when he knocked out then-champion Jose Aldo in 13 seconds.
If McGregor were to be overweight, Saturday’s fight would go on but he would have to pay an undisclosed penalty.
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Mayweather vs. McGregor isn’t just a mismatch; it might be dangerous
If I ever have to borrow money from a bank again, I hope Bob Bennett is my loan officer.
Bennett is the executive director of the Nevada Athletic Commission that regulates combat sports here. Part of the NAC’s stated mission is to “ensure the health and safety of the contestants,” which makes you think the five-person commission would be cautious in its oversight of the novelty boxing match between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor.
Mayweather is the greatest boxer of his generation. McGregor has never boxed as a professional. The public’s overwhelming support of McGregor has inspired silly debates about whether the Irishman can shock the world, obscuring the very real possibility he could be seriously injured Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena.
It’s the NAC’s responsibility to prevent dangerous mismatches like this from taking place, but Bennett’s commission practically rubber-stamped the event from the get-go. If only it could be that easy to obtain a loan.
Reached by phone at his home in Oklahoma, Larry Lovelace sighed. Lovelace is the president of the Assn. of Ringside Physicians, a group of more than 100 fight doctors. He fears for McGregor’s safety and he doesn’t think the NAC should have sanctioned this fight.
“It’s unheard of to have a guy make his pro debut against a world champion,” Lovelace said.
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The ‘Money Belt’ steals the show from Mayweather, McGregor
After obtaining rare crocodile skin, covertly hauling more than three pounds of gold through the most dangerous streets of Mexico City and setting more than 4,000 diamonds, sapphires and emeralds on a belt that took three weeks to produce, the World Boxing Council “Money Belt” was shown to Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Conor McGregor.
The winner of their Saturday boxing match at T-Mobile Arena gets to keep what’s believed to be the most expensive sports trophy created.
WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman declined to reveal the belt’s value or who paid for it, but he acknowledged it does exceed the value of the $1-million diamond belt Mayweather won by defeating Manny Pacquiao in 2015.
“Alligator green strap, diamonds, rubies, the whole lot,” McGregor said. “I saw it, and I wanted to scoop that baby up. The guy [Sulaiman] introduced himself. I’d never met him before. It’s an amazing belt. I look forward to strapping it around my waist and adding it to my collection.”
As the UFC lightweight champion who became the first fighter in organization history to simultaneously wear two belts after ending Jose Aldo’s 10-year unbeaten run by a knockout in 13 seconds in 2015, McGregor could bring his new boxing belt into a UFC octagon one day.
“If he beats Mayweather, he deserves to get the belt, and he can do as he pleases with it,” Sulaiman said. “He earned it.”
The winner will take possession of the belt, dreamed up by Sulaiman as he considered the unique match between a fighter he described as the WBC’s “most loyal” boxer, “Money” Mayweather, and Ireland’s McGregor.
“This fight was made by money. … This fight is truly two, completely different sports, and Floyd Mayweather was ridiculed by [former UFC champion Ronda] Rousey and then McGregor, and then he said, ‘OK, you wanna fight? I can make a bunch of millions. You can make some millions,’ ” Sulaiman said. “Now they’re going to do this boxing match, unprecedented, that everybody criticizes and everybody wants to see happen.”
The belt’s presence generated awe by those who first saw it at Wednesday’s news conference and on social media.
Sulaiman said the designer needed to purchase the gold in layers in downtown Mexico City, then transport it secretly in a plastic grocery bag to his shop.
“So, he’s carrying a plastic bag as if he was carrying bread, but it’s full of gold,” Sulaiman said. “It was a process that was very exciting.”
For the strap, the maker wanted the crocodile skin, which is not easy to obtain. The skin was moved internationally.
The value? “I really don’t know,” Sulaiman claimed. “There’s the cost of the materials, then the production, the labor. If it was to be a commercial piece at a store, how much would you pay for it?”
The belt has 3,360 diamonds, 600 sapphires and 300 emeralds.
Sulaiman’s soft spot for Mayweather is obvious since the 49-0 fighter has won belts in five weight classes.
“It’s going to be clear how boxing and its elegance and technique will [shine],” Sulaiman said. “If it was in the octagon, it’s a different thing.”
With the possibility of 5 million pay-per-view buys, Sulaiman said the masses watching “is the best thing that’s going to happen. Millions of UFC, MMA and non-boxing fans are going to see an unbelievable performance, whatever happens.”
He said Mayweather’s style “is the most technical. If you like boxing, it’s like enjoying the most delicious dessert. You can see how he slips a punch in mini-seconds.”
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Mayweather and Dana White go back more than two decades