Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor: Betting Odds Favor Knockout For Boxer Over UFC Star

For much of the boxing world, the question is how, not if, Floyd Mayweather will defeat Conor McGregor in the Aug. 26 fight at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Looking to improve his career record to 50-0, the undefeated boxer has a good chance to land his first knockout in six years.

The betting odds indicate that the most likely result is a win for Mayweather by early stoppage. Mayweather has -150 odds to knock McGregor out, via Bovada.lv, and +200 odds to win by decision.

READ: How Many PPV Buys Will Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor Do?

Mayweather usually isn’t one to predict a knockout, though that’s exactly what he did on the first leg of the press tour for the super-fight. On stage at Staples Center in Los Angeles on July 11, Mayweather told his opponent that the fight would end with McGregor either on his face or his back.

“That’s the funniest comment of the whole tour,” McGregor said two days later at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. “That man ain’t knocked nobody out in how long? I hope he comes for it. I hope he brings it.”

Despite being the greatest boxer of his generation, Mayweather is far from a knockout artist. When he defeated Andre Berto by unanimous decision in his last fight on Sept. 12, 2015, it marked the seventh straight Mayweather bout that went 12 rounds.

Mayweather’s most recent knockout was a controversial one. He defeated Victor Ortiz on Sept. 17, 2011 in the fourth round, hitting his opponent when he wasn’t paying attention. For those that believe Mayweather defeated Ortiz with a sucker punch, the boxer’s last legitimate knockout came 11 fights ago on Dec. 8, 2007, when he beat Rick Hatton in the 10th round.

Outside of that press conference in L.A., Mayweather has refused to guarantee a knockout. But he expects McGregor to be aggressive, which could make for a short fight.

“Either he’s gonna get me or I’m gonna get him,” Mayweather said in Brooklyn.

McGregor has made it well known that he’ll be trying to knock out Mayweather, predicting the fight won’t last more than four rounds. That’s a bold claim for a fighter that doesn’t have one professional boxing match on his resume.

Mayweather has taken on some of the best boxers of the last two decades, defeating the likes of Oscar De La Hoya, Canelo Alvarez and Manny Pacquiao. Even if they have gone the distance with Mayweather, none of them have come close to getting a victory.

“Nobody knows that squared circle like me,” Mayweather said. “I know angles. I know where to touch you. I know what you do good. I know what you don’t like, and I don’t have to watch your tapes. That’s something I’m blessed with.”

McGregor has never been knocked out in his MMA career, going 21-3 since he turned pro. His only loss in the UFC came against Nate Diaz on March 5, 2016, when he tapped out to a rear-naked choke in the second-round of their 170-pound fight.

The Aug. 26 fight will take place at 154 pounds, and Mayweather, of course, won’t be allowed to choke McGregor. Making the transition from MMA to boxing, the UFC lightweight champion thinks the fact that he’s never fought a professional boxing match can work to his advantage.

READ: Can Conor McGregor Beat Floyd Mayweather?

“I know every shot he throws,” McGregor said. “I know what to expect. I’ve seen it before. He does the same stuff over and over again, so we’re preparing. But he knows nothing. He knows absolutely nothing about the way I’m gonna approach this fight and what way I’m gonna come at him. That’s a beautiful position I’m in. I look forward to exploiting that.”

McGregor has +500 odds to knock Mayweather out and +1000 odds to win by decision.