Floyd Mayweather outlined exact Conor McGregor fight plan night before bout

17 July 2023 , 13:37

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Floyd Mayweather outlined exact Conor McGregor fight plan night before bout

Floyd Mayweather reportedly told American TV host Stephen A Smith his exact game plan hours before executing it against Conor McGregor in their grudge fight.

The legendary 50-0 boxer dominated and stopped McGregor inside ten rounds at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas in 2017, breaking records for purses and gate receipts in the process. But fans were impressed by the UFC legend's performance in making it ten rounds, even winning a few early on in the night.

However, ESPN boss Smith has told of how he spoke with Mayweather the night before the fight, with the boxing icon telling him exactly how it would play out. He claims that the plan was to tire McGregor out and have him tired by the fourth or fifth, before moving around and eventually stopping him in round eight or nine, which he missed by just one.

“I was at Floyd ‘Money’ Mayweather’s house right before he fought Conor McGregor," Smith told Mike Tyson during an episode of his podcast Hot Boxin'. "And I don’t consider that a boxing match because Conor McGregor wasn’t no damn boxer – UFC champion but no boxer.

"So it was an exhibition in my mind, but I still listened. Floyd Mayweather looks me in my face and he says ‘I’m going to take him out about the eighth or ninth round.’ And I said ‘your hand’s always broken, you ain’t known for your punching power since you moved up from lightweight to welterweight, why are you so sure?’"

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Smith then said that Mayweather replied: "Stephen A, he’s a UFC fighter, and he’s a striker. He’s accustomed to coming at you and throwing punches.What he’s not accustomed to doing is punching while he’s moving backwards and pushing you off of him. I’m going to walk right into him and stay on his chest.

"He’s going to have to push me off in order to throw his punches, he’s going to be circling the ring. By round four or five he’s not going to have any legs. He’s going to be done. And I’ll just toy with him and keep him around till round eight or nine.”

Mayweather did just that, allowing McGregor to take early rounds before eventually pushing the pace and walking his rival down in a way almost completely unrecognisable from his usual style. He retired immediately after the fight but continues to compete in exhibition bouts with celebrities and MMA fighters around the world.

Donagh Corby