Mayweather gets last laugh over McGregor to cement historic 50-0 | CBC Sports - Action News
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Mayweather gets last laugh over McGregor to cement historic 50-0

American Floyd Mayweather beat Irishman Conor McGregor by way of technical knockout in the 10th round of their much-hyped megafight on Saturday in Las Vegas to keep his perfect record intact.

Floyd rattles MMA star into submission with 10th-round TKO

Floyd Mayweather Jr. hits Conor McGregor during their super welterweight boxing match at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

Floyd Mayweather Jr. figured out a 50th opponent, letting Conor McGregor have the early rounds before stalking him late and leaving the mixed martial artist defenseless and exhausted on the ropes.

Mayweather battered McGregor around the ring in the later rounds, finally stopping him at 1:05 of the 10th round Saturday night with a flurry of punches that forced referee Robert Byrd to stop the fight.

Before a pro-McGregor crowd that roared every time the UFC star landed a punch, Mayweather methodically broke him down after a slow start to score his first real stoppage in nearly a decade. He did it in what he said would be his final fight, against a fighter who had never been in a professional boxing match.

Conor McGregor catches Floyd Mayweather Jr. with an uppercut in the first round of their super welterweight boxing match in Las Vegas, Nev. on Saturday. (Isaac Brekken/AP Photo)

"I think we gave the fans what they wanted to see," Mayweather said. "I owed them for the [Manny]Pacquiao fight."

McGregor had vowed to knock Mayweather out within two rounds, and he won the early rounds with movement and punches to the head. But the tide of the fight turned in the fourth round as Mayweather seemed to figure out what he had to do and began aggressively stalking McGregor.

"I turned him into a Mexican tonight," McGregor said. "He fought like a Mexican."

In a fight so intriguing that it cost $10,000 US for ringside seats, McGregor turned in a respectable performance for someone in his first fight. But Mayweather's experience and his ring savvy paid off as he executed his game plan to perfection.

Conor McGregor sticks his tongue out at Floyd Mayweather Jr. during their super welterweight boxing match on Saturday. (Isaac Brekken/AP Photo)

"Our game plan was to take our time, go to him and take him out in the end," Mayweather said. "I guaranteed everybody this fight wouldn't go the distance."

Mayweather was widely criticized for not going after Pacquiao in their megafight, and he didn't make the same mistake this time. In a fight that could make him $200 million he seemed to stagger McGregor with a series of punches in the ninth round, then came back in the 10th eager to finish it off.

McGregor went over and hugged Mayweather. He seemed almost happy in the ring afterward, secure that he had given a good performance even in losing.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. defeated Conor McGregor with a 10th round TKO in their megafight on Saturday in Las Vegas, Nev. (Isaac Brekken/Associated Press)

"I was a little fatigued," he said. "He was composed in there, that's what 50 pro fights can give you."

Mayweather ran his record to 50-0, surpassing Rocky Marciano's 49-0 record and giving himself a great parting gift. He repeated afterward that he was not going to fight again.

"This is my last fight for sure. 50-0 sounds good, I'm looking forward to going into the Hall of Fame," Mayweather said. "I picked the best dance partner to do it with."

Irish fans arrived by the thousands in the days before the fight, filling the arena for the weigh-in and boisterously cheering for their man. They even went off in the middle of the night and spray painted an Irish flag and "49-1" on a billboard on Interstate 15 promoting Mayweather's businesses.

The capacity crowd at the arena cheered McGregor on, but they quieted as the fight progressed and Mayweather showed his dominance.

Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor Prop Bets Aplenty

7 years ago
Duration 1:29
CBC Sports' Jacqueline Doorey checks in on some of the big prop bets being made before the Mayweather and McGregor clash on Saturday