One of the biggest sporting events of our generation is happening Saturday night, with undefeated Floyd Mayweather Jr. (49-0) taking on UFC star Conor McGregor in a boxing match. We’ve heard all sorts of bold predictions, with McGregor claiming he’ll finish Mayweather within four rounds (McGregor KO, TKO or DQ pays +325), and Mayweather claiming that he’s sure to knockdown McGregor (-250 odds that McGregor is knocked down or out). There has been a lot of trash talk, and now it’s time to see who the better boxer is.

 

How McGregor Can Win

McGregor figures to have the advantage in power, which could be crucial. Out of his 21 UFC fights, 18 have ended in knockout and while the dynamics in boxing are different, the bottom line is he has power in those fists. We saw it in his sparring session with former two-time world champion Paulie Malignaggi.

McGregor also has an age advantage. He’s 29 years old while Mayweather is 40. There’s no question that 40 is old in combat sports, and if Mayweather has lost any of his signature speed, McGregor could catch him.

 

How Mayweather Can Win

The challenge for McGregor is that this is a boxing match and not an MMA fight. While that’s stating the obvious, it takes away a number of his strengths. For starters, the fighters will be using eight-ounce gloves instead of the four-ounce ones McGregor is used to. That will dull some of his power. Beyond that, McGregor won’t get a chance to finish Mayweather – even if he catches him. In MMA, McGregor is allowed to pounce on his stunned opponents and pound away until they can’t take anymore. In boxing, Mayweather can dance, slip and slide, and if he falls down, he gets 10 seconds to recover.

The real question here is how good McGregor is at boxing. Mayweather is the best boxer of our generation, and this will be McGregor’s first professional boxing fight; this should be a mismatch. Mayweather is so hard to hit that he’s frustrated even the best boxers, so McGregor definitely has his work cut out for him.

 

Large Menu of Props

There is a lot of money on both sides of this fight. While McGregor is a sizable underdog, he’s been in that role many times before and has shocked the world. But if you want to bet on something other than the winner, there is a host of props on the board. You can bet on everything from when the fight will end to whether or not the fighters will tap gloves at the start of Round 1. This Super Bowl-like boxing event takes place Saturday, so make sure you’re part of the action.

 

*Odds as of August 25, 2017