Sports Then and Now

Does the 11 year age different give the youthful Conor McGregor an advantage against 40-year-old Floyd Mayweather.

Floyd Mayweather has carried on with the mind games in the lead up to his super-fight against Conor McGregor, most lately by acknowledging his younger opponent’s advantages.

McGregor Looks Good on Paper

Mayweather, speaking to ESPN, has said that the physical differences between him and his rival meant that, theoretically, McGregor looked good for the win.

Mayweather also conceded that he was older now, and far from the fighter he once was, and that the age gap of 11 years gave McGregor a considerable edge. He went on to say that not only was McGregor was a lot younger than he, he was also taller, with a longer reach.

Mayweather Takes Time Off of Criticizing Conor

When he was questioned as to why he was not taking this chance to once again verbally assault his opponent, Mayweather replied that facts were facts, and that he had to acknowledge his age. He went on to say that he knew he was not the same fighter that he had once been, even two years ago, and that Andre Berto managing to go the distance with him was indicative of the advantages he no longer had access to because of his age.

Mayweather stated that his knockout ratio had once been 90%, and that it was obvious that he had started slipping, and his age had started taking its toll on his ability to fight as he once had.

Mayweather is Going to Change it Up

Mayweather has also said that he will be taking a different approach to his famous defensive stance when he faces McGregor on the 26^th of August, partly as a result of the reaction his contest against Manny Pacquiao received back in 2015. That first also underwent a massive build-up, but did not end up delivering according to many spectators who had been looking for a lot more in terms of action and drama.

Mayweather has stated that the knows that this fight can’t be as defensive as his usually are, and that he would need to really engage with McGregor in order to deliver the excitement the public was looking for.

The Odds are Changing All the Time

Many pundits predict that Mayweather will annihilate McGregor when the fight takes place on August the 26^th, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, but Australian betting sites and those around the rest of the world are not so sure.

While the odds do still definitely favor Floyd Mayweather, Conor McGregor has more than a little support from his fans and punters hoping for a sports-defining upset when the date rolls around.

McGregor may be a stranger to the boxing ring, but his continuing assault on the UFC canvas has him standing in good stead in a number of different categories in terms of the fight. He is younger, he is aggressive, and skilled at fighting in a general sense, and the training time he has no doubt been putting in during the lead up to the boxing match may well see him manage to tip the scales in his favor and take the crown. Only time will tell, as the world eagerly awaits the 26^th of August 2017.