5 reasons why Floyd Mayweather would finish Conor McGregor earlier in a rematch
Conor McGregor was Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s last opponent in his professional boxing career. Since then, the all-time defensive boxing great has retired, taking part in exhibition bouts that draw upon his massive star power.
McGregor, meanwhile, made his inevitable return to MMA, losing to heated rival Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 229 before claiming a dominant victory over MMA legend Donald Cerrone. He has since twice lost Dustin Poirier.
Sidelined by an injury suffered in his last bout with Poirier, the Irishman has had a range of potential foes for his return fight. Michael Chandler called for a matchup with the former lightweight champion after his emphatic knockout win over Tony Ferguson, and Charles Oliveira has repeatedly expressed his interest in a money-making fight with McGregor.
What many might not be considering, however, is that 'The Notorious' might not take part in an MMA fight for his return bout. In the past, the Irishman has made it known that he's desperate to rematch Floyd Mayweather. Despite UFC President Dana White's disinterest in another boxing venture, both Mayweather and McGregor have shown their recent desire to recreate the magic from their first matchup.
Unfortunately, a second fight between the two will, as did the first one, end with a Floyd Mayweather victory. This list outlines five reasons why.
#5. Floyd Mayweather's answer to McGregor's distance management
As a counter-striker, Conor McGregor fights from a specific distance that aids both his defensive and offensive striking. By standing about a half-inch beyond his opponent's punching range, 'The Notorious' can easily hop backwards when his foes swing, causing their punches to fall just short before he hops back in with a thunderous counter-punch.
He's used this to great success in his MMA bouts, but against Floyd Mayweather, he encountered a disruptive presence.
'Money' was quick to realize his opponent's strategy, immediately tucking his chin and throwing up a high guard before marching his opponent down. By fearlessly coming forward behind his high guard, Floyd Mayweather shortened the Irishman's preferred counter-punching distance, forcing his foe to retreat in an effort to reestablish that specific distance.
However, as Mayweather walked him down without any reservations, it forced McGregor into a situation where he was constantly having to reset his distance, which both disrupted his counter-punching and exhausted him.
Furthermore, since boxing features larger gloves, the high guard is even more effective. 'The Notorious' was unable to slip 'Money's precise punches through the small gaps that exist when using MMA gloves.