Ultimate Fight Chat on how McGregor can beat Mayweather

Ever since the multi-million dollar showdown between boxing legend Floyd Mayweather Jr. and UFC star Conor McGregor was finally announced we’ve heard a variety of different opinions on how the super fight could pan out.

The majority fancy the 49-0 Mayweather to come out of retirement and put McGregor firmly in his place.

However, the Irishman isn’t entirely without his backers.

But rather than listen to opinion and speculation we thought we’d get some expert insight from our friends at Ultimate Fight Chat.

Here’s how they’re breaking it down…

Mark it in your diaries. August 26, 2017 will be the day the world shuts down, writes UFC. 

It seems like everyone and their mother has an opinion on this fight. Most agree that Mayweather will cruise to victory but there is a small minority, hard core McGregor fans, that genuinely believe the 28-year-old will triumph.

Look, I’m not naive, I too believe Mayweather is going to remain undefeated but that doesn’t mean I am completely writing off McGregor.

And as the UFC guru around here it’s my job to convince you that he could potentially pull of the shock of the century.

I have compiled a list of reasons as to why I believe McGregor has more of a chance than some boxing experts and fans are giving him credit for.

Height and Range

McGregor isn’t going to tower over Mayweather given that there is only an inch difference between the two but Conor will be sure to make this minor detail count.

McGregor will have a 74” reach whereas Mayweather’s reach is only 72”.

Again, not a huge difference, but something McGregor will no doubt be looking to capitalise on as he aims to jab his way inside Mayweather’s guard.

‘Notorious’ will depend a lot on his stiff jab if he is to have any hope of breaking Mayweather down. He will need to use his jab along with head and body combos to create an opening to land the infamous ‘Celtic Cross’.

Southpaw and stance

McGregor is a southpaw but not your typical southpaw. He fights incredibly loose and he is extremely agile.

He likes to vary up his stance to keep his opponents guessing. I’ve no doubt he will keep his hands low to try and goad Mayweather into attacking him so he can land that killer counter punch.

Mayweather has had an indifferent past with southpaws, he has struggled before and McGregor will be aware of this as he aims to hand him his first ever loss.

Power and Precision

‘Notorious’ certainly packs a punch. From his 21 MMA victories, 18 have ended by knockout. When he cleanly connects it’s usually lights out for his opponents.

McGregor also rarely wastes shots, he is particular and precise about the strikes he throws. Each jab is usually followed up by a carefully thought out combination.

He will time every punch to perfection when he faces Mayweather. And as he says himself: “Precision beats power and timing beats speed”.

Self-belief and the chance to make history

There is no one in the fight game with a greater self-belief than McGregor. ‘Mystic Mac’ envisions every single victory.

He thoroughly thinks through each fight and losing never enters his mind. McGregor fully trusts in his own abilities and he wouldn’t take a fight of this magnitude if he didn’t believe he could gain the victory.

McGregor also has the chance to create history, and besides the money factor, that is his greatest motivator. McGregor wants to leave behind a legacy and the opportunity to become the first person to defeat Mayweather could be the biggest inspiration that he needs.

Nothing is a certainty in the fight game. One punch can change the course of a fight and that could very easily happen here.

When McGregor is in the mix, absolutely anything can unfold over the course of 12 rounds.

And as shown by my reasons above, I think he has a lot more than just a puncher’s chance at claiming the victory.

At the end of the day, ‘Notorious’ deserves respect for even stepping foot in the ring with one of the greatest boxers of all time.

Love him or hate him, you can’t deny McGregor is an exceptionally talented fighter.

Even if the fight itself ends up being a landslide victory for Mayweather, at least he rose to the challenge.

This fight will be subject to heated debate all the way up to the first bell but the one thing everyone should be able to agree on is that the build-up between two of the greatest thrash talkers in the business is going to be exceptional.

Head to Ultimate Fight Chat for all the latest MMA news, previews and betting predictions. And follow @nedd12 on Twitter!

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