Both fighters come away as winners
LAS VEGAS — Conor McGregor was drinking Irish whiskey and acting as if he had won. Floyd Mayweather Jr. was reminiscing about his early days as a fighter and looking forward to a different kind of business at his strip club.
There were smiles all around, and with good reason. They pulled off an audacious gamble on Saturday night, and all that was left to do was to count the money rolling in.
Mayweather estimated his take at $300 million to $350 million. McGregor said he likely would clear $100 million, and said he had his accountants on speed dial to make sure it was all collected.
Fans of both boxing and mixed martial arts had to be happy, too. They got a reasonably entertaining fight that settled nothing about the two sports but embarrassed neither fighter.
“I enjoyed it very, very much,” McGregor said. “It was an honor for me to showcase my skills.”
They go their separate ways now, after a fight that had a little something for everyone. Mayweather won by battering McGregor around late until it was stopped in the 10th round, but in reality McGregor was a big winner too.
He was reasonably competent as a boxer in his first pro fight. He actually controlled the first few rounds, and he was never off his feet despite taking a beating in the late rounds.
Mayweather eventually figured him out, and exposed him for the boxing novice he was. McGregor didn’t become king of boxing as he had predicted before the fight, but he won millions of new fans and will now likely return to the UFC as its unquestioned star.
And Mayweather?
Well, 50-0 has a nice ring to it, passing the 49-0 record of Rocky Marciano that serves as a benchmark in the sport. He got a knockout that helped erase the stain from his fight with Manny Pacquiao two years earlier. And, after earning nearly $1 billion in his 21-year career, he can get on with his varied businesses and maybe even train a few fighters himself.
“You won’t see me in the ring anymore,” Mayweather said. “Any guy calling me out, forget it. I’m OK. I had a great career.”
McGregor, 29, might have been new to boxing, but he proved that he was a true fighter.
“I was a little taken aback by the disrespect and disregard I was shown,” he said.
The Irishman lasted longer and fought more competitively than just about anyone expected. McGregor was gracious and analytical afterward, but he was bothered by one aspect of his defeat: Referee Robert Byrd’s seemingly wise decision to stop the bout while McGregor was still on his wobbly legs.
“Let the man put me down,” he said.
Even though he didn’t get his wish to taste the canvas, McGregor left the Vegas ring with his honor intact and he can go just about anywhere he wants from here.
“I’ll see what’s next, but I’m open,” McGregor said. “I love a good fight, and (Saturday) was a damn good fight. I can’t tell you exactly what’s next, but something will be next.”
McGregor is in an unprecedented position as a huge draw in two combat sports. He could command another hefty boxing paycheck, or he could return to the UFC to defend his two championship belts. McGregor didn’t seem eager to limit himself to one sport.
“I believe I’ll do it again,” McGregor said of boxing, before immediately adding: “I’m looking forward to kicking something again. I’m also looking forward to grappling. I’m looking forward to getting back in and having a good, solid knock again.”
No matter what he decides, McGregor established himself as a sports icon with his valiant defeat and worldclass trash-talking. He intends to cash in on that success in the future.
“I’m young, I’m fit and I’m fresh,” McGregor said. “I’ll continue to get better, and I’ll continue to make adjustments that I learned from this fight to make myself a better fighter. I always have, and I always will.”