In what was one of the biggest sporting events of the year, Floyd Mayweather preserved his undefeated record and come out on top in his bout with Conor McGregor, one of the best MMA fighters in the world.
As per CBS Sports, Floyd Mayweather improved to 50-0 in his first fight since coming out of his previously-announced retirement with a 10th-round TKO over McGregor, who was more than game for the challenge of beating Money. The glitzy pay per view event attracted a lot of recognizable celebrity faces to the T-Mobile Arena, but by the time the fight was over, those in attendance were talking as much about McGregor's performance in defeat as any other storyline from the big night. The 29-year-old, who was making his debut as a boxer, never seemed reckless or or overly aggressive in the ring, an approach that was in stark contrast to his pre-fight flamboyance and hype. Instead, he was a worthy opponent for Mayweather, who now must be considered as one of boxing's all-time greats.
"He's a lot better than I thought he was," Mayweather said after the fight was over. "He used different angles. He was a tough competitor, but I was the better man tonight." Floyd also spoke about the level of competition McGregor brought to the table, adding that "we gave the fans what they wanted to see. I chose a hell of a dance partner to dance with. Conor McGregor, you are a hell of a champion."
Mayweather also officially announced his retirement once the bout was in the books, admitting that he played the long game when it came to strategy during his last tour of duty as a boxer. "He's a tough competitor" said Floyd. "Our game plan was to take our time, let him shoot all his heavy shots early and then take him out at the end down the stretch." Round 10 was where Mayweather dominated, getting some clean shots in against the ropes until referee Robert Byrd waved off the fight at the 1:05 mark. "I thought it was close. Let me go down, let the man put me down," McGregor explained about the end of the match. "Wobbly and fatigued? I'm clear-headed. Let me wobble back to me corner. If they finished that round he'd be wobbling to the morgue." McGregor didn't resort to any dirty tactics in the ring, which many thought he would do if the fight got away from him. Check out some highlights, courtesy of CBS Sports, below.