Last month's 'super fight' between Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor may have gone exactly the way most sensible people predicted it to go, but in the end, the UFC champion was fortunate the fight was ended prematurely in the 10th round, when referee Robert Byrd stepped in to bring an end to Mayweather's assault of the Irishman.
And although Mayweather extended his unbeaten record to 50-0 in convincing fashion at the T-Mobile Arena in Nevada at the expense of the Notorious one, the now retired Money has explained why he didn't bother inflicting more damage on his opponent or end the fight by knockout in a recent Hollywood Unblocked podcast.
During the show, the 40-year-old Mayweather admitted that he was concerned for McGregor's career if he unloaded many more punches into the Irishman's skull, citing that doing so could have long lasting effects on the UFC's top draw, including brain damage.
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"He has a career. You know, he still has a career. He's still young, (It could've been) very damaging. We have to think about these fighters. Even, like, my uncle Roger. Right now, I just got a call just before I came here. He keeps walking off, wandering off. No one can find him. He ends up in a hospital. So, brain damage - it happens. It happens."
Mayweather stopped McGregor in the 10th round, but things could have been much worse for the Irishman, who ran out steam several rounds earlier. Images: PA
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Later in the podcast, Mayweather discussed the praise McGregor has received since the fight for the fact that he managed to last 10 rounds in his first professional bout, against the greatest fighter of a generation.
McGregor was seen to dominate the first three rounds, although given the way the Irishman blew up a few rounds later, it was clearly part of Mayweather's gameplan to allow the 28-year-old to take the opening three rounds and the 40-year-old has taken umbrage with how many people have been talking about McGregor in the aftermath of the bout.
"OK, hold on. It's a catch 22. If I blew him out in the first round, they would have something to say. If we let the fight go on a little longer than expect, they're going to have something to say. So it's like, damned if I do, damned if I don't. If I let it go the distance, they're going to say something.
"Once again, we're praising him. We're not praising me. We're praising him. Because I'm 40 years old, retired for two years. He's 28, he's active. I'm inactive. He's taller, he's bigger. Hey may not be stronger. He has a longer reach. He's taller. He's bigger. He's younger. Youth is on his side. I'm just saying, everything on paper links on him. For me to come and be off, and really only train totally, probably three weeks .. and (I was) out every night partying."
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So there you have it, Mayweather spent the majority of his preparation time for his bout with Conor McGregor partying instead of training properly. At least he was taking the fight as seriously as everyone else was, then.
(H/T MMA Junkie)
Topics: Conor Mcgregor, Boxing, UFC, MMA, Floyd Mayweather