Did Anderson Silva do better than Conor McGregor in his boxing fight?
Anderson Silva traded blows with Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. on the 'Tribute to the Kings' fight card in Guadalajara, Mexico. Silva secured a split decision win (75-77, 77-75, and 77-75) over the former WBC middleweight champion, cementing himself as a striking maestro.
The massive prizefight victory certainly sets Anderson Silva apart from his MMA peers in terms of pure striking. No other MMA fighter has been able to do what Silva did last night against an opponent of Chavez Jr's caliber.
The only other fighter who dared to step inside the squared circle against a finessed boxer was former UFC double champion, Conor McGregor. The Irishman fought undefeated boxer Floyd Mayweather in a pro-boxing match in 2017. But unlike Anderson Silva, McGregor fell short of securing the victory in his boxing venture.
Anderson Silva's incredible victory has entailed an unavoidable comparison among pugilists as to why 'The Spider' fared so well in his boxing outing compared to McGregor's failed attempt at defeating 'Money'.
At first glance, the 46-year-old Anderson Silva, who beat Julio Cesar Chaves Jr., did immensely better than the 29-year-old Conor McGregor, who faced Floyd Mayweather in 2017. While Anderson Silva's bout was eight rounds compared to McGregor's ten-round fight, it's undeniable that 'The Spider' looked much more at ease in the squared circle than 'Notorious'.
That said, first glances aren't always truly representative of the complete picture. Here, we look at three parameters that might help in clarifying the contrasting performances of Anderson Silva and Conor McGregor in their respective boxing ventures:
#3 Conor McGregor fought a much better opponent
Julio Chavez Jr. (52-6) has been on the receiving end of four defeats in his last six outings. While it wouldn't be fair to disregard Anderson Silva's impeccable performance last night, boxing records do tell a story. Chavez's horrible skid in the recent past indicates that the 35-year-old is nearing the twilight of his career.
Meanwhile, Conor McGregor's boxing rival, Floyd Mayweather, held an unblemished 49-0 professional boxing record coming into the fight. Hailed for possessing the best defensive skills, Mayweather fought the creme-de-la-creme inside the boxing ring, beating greats like Manny Pacquiao and Oscar De La Hoya. The boxing veteran even has a win over Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez on his resume, who defeated Chavez Jr. in 2017 via unanimous decision.
#2 Conor McGregor wasn't as well-versed in the boxing ruleset as Anderson Silva
Anderson Silva isn't new to the boxing world. The former UFC middleweight champion debuted as a pro-boxer against Osmar Luiz Teixeira in 1998. Seven years later, Silva fought in his second professional boxing match against Julio Cesar de Jesus in Brazil. Silva defeated Jesus via knockout in the second round and improved his record to 1-1.
Conor McGregor, on the other hand, had no professional boxing exposure whatsoever before fighting one of the greatest pugilists of all time. 'Notorious' just couldn't make up for his inadequate skillset against Mayweather when it came to pure boxing. The inexperience was apparent throughout the bout as McGregor threw multiple illegal strikes, including hammerfists and low blows, to evade Mayweather's shots.
While Conor McGregor was in his absolute prime when he fought Floyd Mayweather, it definitely wasn't easy to transition to a different sport with a completely different set of rules and limitations.
#1 The promotion for Mayweather vs. McGregor took a toll on the Irishman
Billed as "The Biggest Fight in Combat Sports History," Conor McGregor vs. Floyd Mayweather did massive numbers in terms of pay-per-view. The major crossover sold 4.3 million PPVs and is said to have grossed $600 million in revenue.
These whopping box-office numbers were made possible due to the relentless promotion done by both combatants. Showtime organized a world tour where the fighters didn't hold back from trading barbs to promote the crossover matchup.
Although Conor McGregor was proficient in slandering his opponents verbally during fight buildups, the Irishman took his antics to another notch against Mayweather. 'Money' has been known for his calm demeanor outside the ring, and he largely stayed true to it, while 'Notorious' lived up to his nickname and pulled out all the stops at every promotional event.
Ultimately, the fight became the second highest-selling pay-per-view event in boxing history. However, the unceasing publicity for the fight didn't help the Irishman in answering the attacks by Mayweather inside the ring.
Mayweather and McGregor were looking to leave the event with the biggest payday of their lives and successfully accomplished this feat. Anderson Silva, on the other hand, was much more focused on training for and winning the fight, and it showed.
An argument can be made that Anderson Silva and Conor McGregor had different goals they wanted to accomplish. 'The Spider' is a combat sports icon who wanted to better his losing streak, which led to his release from the UFC. McGregor, on the other hand, wanted to use his verbal and physical skills to earn his biggest payday.
Both men successfully achieved what they set out to do, and both men will forever be icons of mixed martial arts and combat sports at large.