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After months of selling the fight, Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather are finally ready to step inside the ring and battle it out. All indications are it won’t be a great fight in terms of quality, but it’s going to be a piece of boxing history nonetheless, and you don’t want to miss it.
In preparation of Saturday’s megafight, here’s a complete look at all the key information, as well as a statistical comparison between the two:
Tale of the Tape
| Floyd Mayweather | Conor McGregor | |
| 49-0 | Boxing Record | 0-0 (21-3 in MMA) |
| 40 | Age | 29 |
| 5’8″ (173 cm) | Height | 5’9″ (175 cm) |
| 149.5 pounds | Weight | 153 pounds |
| 72″ (183 cm) | Reach | 74″ (188 cm) |
| Orthodox | Stance | Southpaw |
Statistical Comparison
It’s obviously difficult to make a statistical comparison when the fighters are coming from different sports. However, a look at the numbers does give an idea of what each fighter brings to the table, as well as his expected strategy.
For Mayweather, it’s all about being economical. He doesn’t throw a lot of punches–an average of just 39 per round, per CompuBox–but he’s deadly accurate. He lands 43 percent of his punches and 51 percent of his power punches, the latter number being 13 percent higher than the average welterweight.
No one–let alone someone with zero professional boxing experience–is going to out-point Mayweather. He’s precise, he’s clinical and he typically gets better the longer a fight lasts.
“[McGregor’s] best tactic is to go in and give it his all as early as possible,” suggested Irish professional boxer Michael Conlan. “Put it all on the line – and if it doesn’t work he’ll go out on a sheet.”
Fortunately for McGregor, an aggressive attack is well within his comfort level. A dangerous puncher who has always been better on his feet rather than on the ground at the MMA level, McGregor is seventh among all active UFC fighters with 5.82 strikes landed per minute and sixth with 12 knockdowns. Overall, 18 of his 21 defeated opponents–including Jose Aldo in a matter of seconds–have felt his knockout power:
McGregor’s excellent striking skills could make things interesting, but it’s difficult to imagine him landing enough punches. Mayweather is one of the best defensive fighters of all-time, as his opponents land just 19 percent of their punches.
Mayweather’s last seven fights have gone the distance, and unless McGregor lands something big early, that trend should continue.
“It’s two different sports,” said former multiple world champion Ricky Hatton. “I couldn’t hit [Mayweather], Oscar [De La Hoya] couldn’t hit him, Canelo [Alvarez] couldn’t hit him, Conor’s not going to hit him.”
