After months of hype and profanity Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor take their war of words into the ring on Saturday (August 26) for a boxing mismatch that is poised to become the richest fight in history.
The two took to the stage at T-Mobile Arena to weigh in Friday (August 25) afternoon with McGregor tipping the scales at 153 pounds (69.3 kilograms) and Mayweather nearly four pounds lighter at 149-1/2 (67.8 kgs).
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From motorcycle daredevil Evil Knievel to off-the-wall comedian Carrot Top, the Las Vegas strip has seen it all, but nothing quite like the crossover fight between undefeated boxer Mayweather and mixed martial arts champion McGregor.
Boxing purists have dismissed the bout as nothing more than a cash grab with McGregor in line for a $100 million pay day and Mayweather adding upwards of $200 million to push his career earnings towards the $1 billion mark.
Despite what is by most barometers a massive mismatch there is global fascination in the fight that could prove to be the richest in boxing history.
Promoters have sold the bout as “historical,” a fight that will be talked about around the world for years to come and many intrigued fight fans have bought into the hype.
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A crowd of close to 20,000 is expected to fill the T-Mobile Arena, where ringside seats on resale sites are being offered for more than $100,000, with millions more around the globe watching on pay-per-view.
There will be no titles on the line, only a gaudy “Money Belt” with a strap made from crocodile leather and featuring 24 karat gold, 3,360 diamonds along with sapphires and emeralds, but much will be riding on the result.
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For Mayweather it will be the culmination of a life’s work, a chance to surpass former heavyweight great Rocky Marciano, who retired with a perfect 49-0 career record.
For McGregor, a victory would give him the greatest upset in combat sports history and establish him as a crossover star able to choose big money fights in both the octagon and the ring.