Mayweather vs. McGregor Early Fight Odds and Scorecard Predictions

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UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor has a chance to pull off one of the greatest upsets in sports history when he goes head-to-head against Floyd Mayweather Jr. at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Saturday, August 26.

The boxing apprentice, making his first professional appearance in the ring, will step outside the Octagon and attempt to become the first man to defeat Mayweather, himself making his 50th appearance in pursuit of a perfect 50-0 record.

McGregor remains the underdog to emerge victorious with the bookmakers, but MMA commentator Jon Anik recently discussed with OddsShark how the chances have moved in his favour of late:

And Mayweather's favourite status has been gradually whittled down in the buildup to the bout, at least with the bookmakers, meaning the chances to make a profit off his potential victory are improving, while the Notorious loses value.

Read on for a roundup of the latest odds on offer, complete with a prediction of how the fight will progress, whether it will ever go the distance and who we can expect to see dominate the scorecard come August 26.

Fight Odds

Floyd Mayweather Jr: -400

Draw: +3300

Conor McGregor: +300

Fight to go the distance: Yes (+225), No (-300)

All odds provided courtesy of Odds Shark and Oddschecker.com.

Preview 

The fight will see the newcomer in McGregor attempt to outbox the veteran, Mayweather, very likely the greatest defensive fighter to have graced the squared circle in a fixture many see as one-sided.

It's up to McGregor, 29, quickly establishing himself as one of the best MMA stars to have lived, to prove the transition between the two crafts isn't as difficult as some would suggest—at least not for one of his skill level.

Granted, it will be an entirely new challenge for McGregor, a jack of all trades in MMA, to take on a master in the form of Mayweather, 40, but with 11 years separating the two and the former in his pomp, it's far from an open-and-closed discussion.

Mayweather could prove to be the harbinger some predict and pick the newcomer apart or McGregor will fire out of the blocks and end it early on, as he recently predicted on Conan:

It's also significant that the Nevada State Athletic Commission approved the fighters' requests to use eight-ounce gloves rather than the heavier 10-ounce gloves recently reserved for fights above 147 pounds, per BBC Sport.

The Notorious, who is used to predicting—often successfully—how his fights will finish, cited this as cause to reduce his expectation for how long his upcoming opponent will last to just four rounds:

"I don't believe with the new gloves he makes it out of the second round.

"Part of me kind of wants to show some skill and dismantle him but I do not see him absorbing the blows.

"I am ready to go to war for 12 rounds and I am also ready to put him away in seconds. There is no way in hell I am not prepared to fight in the deepest of trenches."

It's been almost two years since Mayweather defeated Andre Berto via unanimous decision before retiring in September 2015, and it's been almost six years since he last finished an opponent, Victor Ortiz, winning seven decisions since then.

McGregor doesn't play by the same tactics; in comparison, seven of his nine UFC wins have come via stoppage.

Not only will his unorthodox style present a problem to the elder statesman or his 2" reach advantage grant him an added weapon, but his calmness under pressure tends to yield results:

Even those who mock McGregor's attempt to take on arguably the best boxer ever seen would have to concede that in a fight, anything can happen on any given day. Everyone has a fighter's chance.

We can expect McGregor to fly out of the blocks, and while his victory may not be as swift as even he predicts, he will connect eventually, and in his hands lies a stopping power that Mayweather can't match.

Prediction: McGregor to win via TKO in Round 5.

Mayweather leading scorecard at time of finish: 49-46, 49-46, 49-46