How Conor McGregor won

Saturday’s boxing match between UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor and the greatest boxer of his generation, Floyd Mayweather, was officially a win for the latter via TKO at 1:05 in round 10 (of 12). When the money is counted, Mayweather will join Tiger Woods and Michael Jordan as the only three athletes with lifetime earnings over $1 billion.

It was a huge victory too for Conor McGregor. Mayweather calls himself, among other things, TBE – The Best Ever; he may be right. Yet McGregor won rounds (on the official score card just one round, but that says far more about boxing than it does about McGregor). Complete destruction via whatever Mayweather wanted, whenever he wanted it would be expected, just as it would be if Mayweather entered the Octagon.

When James Toney fought Randy Couture, the boxer literally never threw a punch, yet it wasn’t considered a great fight of Couture’s, by any means, despite The Natural being six years older. Complete and immediate destruction of McGregor wouldn’t have made MayMac one of Mayweather’s great victories. But it was far from that.

McGregor proved he could hang with arguably the best boxer ever, and last into Round 10. That in itself is a huge victory, one that recalls the start of the sport, when little Helio Gracie to his eternal credit hung for a spell with the greatest Judoka of all time, Masahiko Kimura.

It was a victory over the critics who said McGregor had no business being in that ring, and a victory as well for NSAC executive director Bob Bennett who approved the bout. It was a victory over the medical experts who offered dire warning over McGregor’s health. Notorious never appeared concussed and said afterward he fell from fatigue. His body is built for MMA, which has a maximum fight length of 29 minutes. In boxing 29 minutes falls at 1:00 into Round 8. McGregor went two rounds past where he had ever gone before. Maybe his endurance in MMA will be improved. That would be a victory.

It was a huge victory for Conor’s net worth. Notorious says the revenue he makes (reports are in the $100 million range) will quadruple his net worth. And unlike MMA with its show-win purses, Conor didn’t lose a dime in losing. And from start to finish (less some long, exhausted seconds) he appeared to be having the time of his life.

And it was a victory for the fans. It was a compelling boxing match. Thanks Conor!

The Rocky Marciano Curse has finally been broken and now stands at 50-0. Going forward it’s more cursed than ever – the only boxer with a prayer of beating that number is Mayweather, when he and McGregor have a rematch. That will be another win for McGregor, whatever happens.