Skip to content

Floyd Mayweather beats Conor McGregor in Las Vegas fight

"He's a lot better than I thought he was," admits Mayweather, after his MMA opponent pushed him much harder than expected.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Best of the action from Vegas superfight
Why you can trust Sky News

Floyd Mayweather beat UFC icon Conor McGregor with a 10th-round stoppage in their much-hyped fight in Las Vegas.

Mayweather, who came out of retirement for the fight, now has a record of 50-0 - surpassing heavyweight great Rocky Marciano's 49-0 record for most wins without a loss or draw.

Mixed martial arts champion McGregor, who was making his professional boxing debut, failed to pull off what might have been the greatest upset in combat sports history.

But the former apprentice plumber from Dublin made the fight much more compelling than most experts had predicted at the T-Mobile Arena.

  1. Mayweather throws a punch at McGregor as the fight gets under way
    Image: Many expected Floyd Mayweather Jr to dispatch his MMA opponent Conor McGregor with ease - but the story of the fight was very different
  2. Conor McGregor pictured in his dressing room before the biggest fight of his career
    Image: Ultimate Fighting Championship star McGregor looked relaxed in his dressing room before the fight
  3. Undefeated Floyd Mayweather Jr. before the fight
    Image: Mayweather, who had retired in 2015, entered the ring with an unblemished tally of 49 wins
  4. Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) star Conor McGregor heads into the ring
    Image: McGregor had never fought a professional boxing bout before the Las Vegas showpiece
  5. Rapper P Diddy arrives to watch the fight
    Image: P Diddy was among the celebrity-filled audience, with actress Charlize Theron and former boxing world champion Mike Tyson also ringside
  6. Actor Bruce Willis walks the red carpet ahead of the showdown
    Image: Actor Bruce Willis walked the red carpet ahead of the bout
  7. Demi Lovato sings the national anthem, before Mayweather Jr. and McGregor take to the ring
    Image: Demi Lovato sang the national anthem before the fight got under way shortly after 5am UK time
  8. A birds-eye-view of the ring as the two men box
    Image: It was claimed the fight was available for broadcast in a billion homes
  9. Conor McGregor throws a punch at Floyd Mayweather Jr. during what some are calling the fight of the century
    Image: Underdog McGregor got Mayweather against the ropes at the start of the fight
  10. Image: The former apprentice plumber more than held his own during the first three rounds
  11. The former apprentice plumber attempts to dodge a jab
    Image: But as the Irishman's arms tired, 40-year-old 'Moneymaker' took control
  12. Moments before the referee stops the fight
    Image: Mayweather dominated the 9th round...
  13. Mayweather celebrates after the referee stops the fight in the 10th round
    Image: ...before the referee stepped in as McGregor wobbled during the 10th
  14. The referee steps in as Mayweather finally overwhelms his opponent
    Image: Mayweather is viewed as one of the greatest boxers of all time - but this will go down as one of his toughest fights
  15. Mayweather celebrates his win beside his father Floyd Mayweather Sr
    Image: Mayweather admitted afterwards: 'He is a lot better than I thought he was'
  16. Image: He described the Irishman as a 'true champion'
  17. McGregor stands in the ring after his defeat in the 10th round
    Image: McGregor's performance exceeded almost all expectations and it could lead to more regular instances of MMA fighters crossing sports
  18. Undefeated world champion Mayweather claims the belt after a technical knockout
    Image: Mayweather remains undefeated with a record of 50-0
  19. The fighters embrace after a bout that was predicted to generate $600m
    Image: The fighters embraced after a bout that was predicted to generate $600m

McGregor made a brave and spirited start but his 40-year-old opponent dominated from the fourth round.

The end came with a weary McGregor doubled over on the ropes as Mayweather landed two hard left hooks in the 10th.

Speaking after his win, Mayweather said of his opponent: "He's a lot better than I thought he was, he used different angles and was a tough competitor. But I was the better man tonight.

More on Mayweather V Conor Mcgregor

"Our game plan was to take our time, go to him, let him shoot his heavy shots early and then take him out at the end. In the MMA he fights 25 minutes really hard then he starts to slow down."

McGregor said Mayweather was "not that fast or powerful" but was "composed" and "patient with his shots".

"I thought it was close and I thought the stoppage was a little early," he said.

"I get looked at when I'm tired… I was just a little fatigued. It was some buzz, I thought we were close."

The odds at fight time favoured Mayweather by a 5-1 margin.

There were a handful of $1m bets on Mayweather, with three coming in just hours before the fight. The biggest reported bet on McGregor was $100,000.

Image: Jennifer Lopez was among the stars watching ringside
Rapper P Diddy arrives to watch the fight
Image: Rapper P Diddy arrives to watch the fight

Some 50 million people were expected to watch the bout in the US alone, with the fight available online or on TV screens to more than one billion homes in 200 different countries.

The fight was predicted to generate up to $600m (£466m), breaking the pay-per-view record set by Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao two years ago.

Whether it will be the richest of all-time is still to be determined, but Mayweather left no doubt of his place in the pantheon of boxing greats.

"This was my last night, tonight I chose the right dance partner to dance with," he said when asked if he would ever be seen in the ring again.