Conor McGregor is widely known around the world as a UFC legend, with MMA skills to put many rivals to shame. However, back in 2017 he started a whole new journey, when he took on the money match against Floyd Mayweather – his first step into the boxing world, pitching his UFC skills against the boxing skills of Mayweather.
This has opened up a whole new world for the UFC star as McGregor has now been told that he can fight for a world title in boxing if he proves himself first by beating a ranked opponent.
A Difficult Start
This foray into the world of boxing got off to a tough start, with the UFC legend losing by TKO to Mayweather in the 10th rounds. Many believe Mayweather was in charge of the entire fight up til that point, and he never really even came close to putting up a real challenge. So, should he retrace his steps into the boxing world, undoubtedly major sports betting companies such as Sportsbet, so used to placing McGregor as a favourite for UFC, will see him more as an underdog.
Return to His Best
After the defeat, McGregor returned to what he does best, MMA fighting. However, it seems as though he hasn’t given up on the boxing dream and is rumoured to be looking at taking on Manny Pacquiao later in 2021. Manny Pacquiao has done nothing to quell these rumours, confirming that he’s very interested in taking him on. He’s not necessarily match ready right now, however, as he hasn’t fought professionally since the summer of 2019 after he won by decision against Keith Thurman.
However, this isn’t necessarily his only path to the title. WBC President, Mauricio Sulaiman has brought up the possibility that by beating anyone ranked in the top 15, he could be awarded the opportunity of fighting for the welterweight title, currently in the possession of Errol Spence.
Carving a New Path
Despite being one of the most famous, it isn’t unheard of for MMA fighters or MuayThai fighters to turn their hand to boxing. Amateurs, such as Vasyl Lomachenki have made the switch to pro boxing and made a success of it. McGregor has the skills and the power to make the move and is no stranger to combat sports. However, he needs to up his game if the last match was anything to go by.
The Mayweather defeat was heavy, and despite Mayweather claiming that he barely even trained for the bout, McGregor couldn’t get near the legend. He claimed his 50th victory barely even breaking a sweat. There has been talk of a rematch, however, and although Mayweather seems up for it, rumour has it that McGregor men don’t believe that it’s a fight that will ever happen because the next time Mayweather would lose – and that’s not something he would take. So, it looks like we will see McGregor returning to the ring, but just not against Mayweather.
