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ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – JANUARY 22: Conor McGregor of Ireland arrives prior to the UFC 257 weigh-in at Etihad Arena on UFC Fight Island on January 22, 2021 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
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ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – JANUARY 22: Conor McGregor of Ireland arrives prior to the UFC 257 weigh-in at Etihad Arena on UFC Fight Island on January 22, 2021 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
Conor McGregor was always certain of his star power. The richest UFC fighter called all the shots during his initial run in the promotion. The moniker ‘Mystic Mac’ suited him perfectly. Chiefly, if one considered his prediction, that he would box Floyd Mayweather years before that actually happened.
The two biggest PPV draws in combat sports history came together for a historic event. The fight did over 4 million PPV buys. Even a boxer like Mike Tyson couldn’t pull off such numbers, which explains how mammoth the build-up to the fight was.
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However, if it had gone like how McGregor wanted it, the fight would’ve made even more money than it did.
The May-Mac contest shattered all the PPV records. Chiefly, considering it was McGregor’s debut in the sport as a professional. Yet the star in a TMZ interview, when asked about the $100 PPV price, said, “It should be 120.”
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LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 14: Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Conor McGregor come face to face during the Floyd Mayweather Jr. v Conor McGregor World Press Tour at SSE Arena on July 14, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Matthew Lewis/Getty Images)
Before the Mayweather showdown, ‘The Notorious’ already had headlined multiple events that crossed the one million mark on the PPV, the highest being UFC 202 (Nate Diaz rematch) with over 1.6 million. Thus, he knew ‘Money’ as a dance partner will not elevate his PPV buys.
And as the TMZ reporter suggested, the fans would’ve still bought this once-in-a-lifetime event. Considering the unknowns involved & the hype around the bout, ‘The Notorious’ wanting more bills on the ticket could’ve been a brilliant tactic.
Conor McGregor vs. Floyd Mayweather had everyone confused
There were more eyeballs on McGregor’s boxing bout than any of his UFC clashes. Yet, analysts couldn’t conclude how he fared against the best defensive boxer in the sport’s history. Some thought McGregor lived up to the expectations; whereas some offered that his performance was underwhelming.
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Multi-time UFC title challenger Chael Sonnen revealed a fascinating story about how the judges gave no credit to McGregor. Chiefly in the initial rounds. However, a boxing legend, Teddy Atlas, had McGregor winning multiple rounds.
Looking back at how Mayweather dismantled Don Moore five years later, people changed their opinion on McGregor’s performance and many started to believe that he had performed well against ‘Money’.
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WATCH THIS STORY – The Staggering Price Of Conor McGregor’s Outfit He Donned At Star-Studded Monaco F1 Race
What do you think of Conor McGregor’s words?