CAPE TOWN – The #MoneyFight was hyped up to the nth degree, but didn’t deliver much action as Floyd Mayweather predictably outlasted Conor McGregor to set up a new unbeaten 50-0 record in Las Vegas on Sunday morning.
McGregor initially gave as good as he got, but Mayweather showed his boxing class as he wore his opponent down to claim a technical knockout in the 10th round.
McGregor was quicker out of the blocks, and arguably won the first few rounds as Mayweather sized up his opponent in their super welterweight contest at the T-Mobile Arena.
As usual, the latter had his gloves up for most of the early rounds, absorbing the pressure and trying to tire his opponent out.
Slowly but surely, Mayweather started to land his jabs, and he specifically targeted the body to take the sting out of McGregor, who was moving well for someone in his first ever professional boxing fight.
By the fourth round, though, Mayweather started to edge in front, neutralising McGregor’s unorthodox style and southpaw stance as he zeroed in on his opponent.
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Mayweather said afterwards that it was all part of his “game plan” as he gradually took control from the fifth round onwards with a series of body shots to the MMA fighter.
By the sixth, it was virtually one-way traffic as Mayweather just walked forward to hunt down his prey, with McGregor unable to provide much of a defence or counter-attack.
McGregor tried to “rugby tackle” Mayweather on a few occasions in attempting a couple of UFC moves, and hit him at the back of the head, but he ran out of steam the longer the bout went on as the American took charge.
The Irishman had a better round in the eighth as he came out with a flourish at the start, although Mayweather’s defence was as indestructible as usual.
But by the ninth round, McGregor had lost his spark. Mayweather moved in for the kill, but held back for just long enough to stretch the fight into a 10th round.
Floyd Mayweather speaks with Conor McGregor after the fight. Photo: Isaac Brekken, AP
The #MoneyFight was soon over, with referee Robert Byrd stepping in to stop the bout in the 10th round as Mayweather swarmed all over McGregor, who was unable to punch back.
In the post-fight TV interview, the 40-year-old Mayweather insisted that this would be his last encounter, having passed Rocky Marciano’s 49-0 mark to set a new perfect record of 50-0.