“Landed More Shots Than Canelo”: Years After Losing $600 Million Fight, Conor McGregor Takes Sly Dig at Canelo Alvarez While Exhibiting Interest in Rematching Floyd Mayweather

In August 2017, the UFC dual-weight champion famously switched to boxing to face its top star in his first boxing match. Floyd Mayweather Jr. fought Conor McGregor on August 26, 2017, in Nevada. Mayweather won by a technical knockout in the 10th round. The fight drew 4.3 million pay-per-view buys and generated over $600 million in total revenue.

Moreover, critics gave mixed reviews of the fight. Some praised the fight’s competitiveness, while others called it a money grab. Now, in recent news, the MMA star has made an unusual comparison. He compared his fight to Mayweather’s fight with Canelo Alvarez. Not only this, he has also hinted at a possible rematch with ‘Money’ Mayweather.

Conor McGregor thinks he was better than Canelo while fighting Floyd Mayweather

On Tuesday, McGregor highlighted Mayweather’s 2013 win over Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez, praising his rival’s exceptional performance against boxing’s new top draw. At 35, McGregor compared himself to Canelo and expressed interest in a rematch with Mayweather. He tweeted, “One of the greatest performances in Professional Boxing this was. I landed more shots on Floyd than Canelo. I’d love another go.”

Contrary to McGregor’s claim, he did not outscore Canelo in hits against Mayweather. McGregor landed 111 hits on ‘Money’ in ten rounds, just short of Canelo’s 117 in a 12-round match years earlier.

‘Notorious’ connected with 26% of his punches, surpassing Canelo’s 22% accuracy against Mayweather. McGregor plans to return to the boxing ring, and it’s easy to see why; he earned $100 million in his boxing debut. However, Conor’s tweet reminds one of the toll the loss took on Canelo.

Canelo Alvarez’s story of redemption

Canelo Alvarez faced his first professional loss on September 14, 2013, against Floyd Mayweather Jr., a defeat that taught him much. The damage Mayweather inflicted didn’t heal fast. Canelo’s team wanted a rematch, but Mayweather declined further involvement with Canelo. In an interview with mediotiempo.com, Jose ‘Chepo’ Reynoso, Canelo’s trainer, discussed the aftermath in the dressing room. He admitted they shed tears over the loss.

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After the Mayweather fight, Canelo didn’t taste another defeat again until 2022, when he lost to Dmitry Bivol. He solidified his status as one of the world’s best fighters. In various years, experts ranked him as the best pound-for-pound fighter globally. Moreover, he also became one of the highest-earning athletes and built a brand around himself.