The news broke on Wednesday that a boxing bout between boxing legend Floyd Mayweather Jr. and UFC champion Conor McGregor had been finalized for Aug. 26 in Las Vegas. Yahoo Sport’s Kevin Iole first broke the news of the blockbuster match-up, and both fighters later confirmed its signing via social media.
Unbeaten Mayweather is one of the greatest pugilists of our time. He’s amassed a 49-0 record since debuting as a professional in October 1996. McGregor is 0-0 in boxing, but the Irishman’s boxing record isn’t what made him a household name. He’s 21-3 in mixed martial arts and is the only fighter in UFC history to hold two divisional titles at the same time.
McGregor is 12 years younger than Mayweather with a height and reach advantage and has knockout power. McGregor will be the bigger fighter when they enter the ring, but will all those attributes equate to a win? Oddsmakers don’t think so.
The opening odds for the fight have Mayweather as the heavy favorite. Las Vegas oddsmakers list Mayweather a -1200 favorite and McGregor a +700 underdog. That means you’d have to bet $1200 on Mayweather to win $100 if he wins. If you bet $100 on McGregor and he wins, you would win $700.
That line may move as the pay-per-view event gets closer and money starts coming in heavily on the bout.
