“He’s lot better than I thought he was.”
Conor McGregor lost to Floyd Mayweather in their boxing bout, but the Irishman performed a lot better than many expected. McGregor was aggressive in the early rounds, putting pressure on the former pound for pound king. The 29-year-old hit Mayweather with a few shots, throwing punches from awkward angles and making it difficult for his illustrious opponent.
However, Mayweather then took control of the bout, and McGregor noticeably fatigued as the fight went on. Mayweather looked every one of his 40 years, and he lacked the zip that saw him win 49 professional bouts. Yet, as he predicted, he still had enough to beat McGregor.
Mayweather stopped the Irishman in the 10th round. McGregor looked exhausted, and the referee intervened as he was no longer protecting himself from his opponent’s shots.
Immediately following the bout, Mayweather paid tribute to McGregor.
“He’s a tough competitor,” the American said.
“I think we gave the fans what they wanted to see. I told him that, I owed him for the (Manny) Pacquiao fight, I must come straight ahead, and give the fans a show, and I think that’s what I gave them.
“He’s lot better than I thought he was,” Mayweather admitted.
“He used different angles, he’s a tough competitor, but I was the better man tonight.”
The Showtime interviewer asked Mayweather about the early rounds of the fight, where McGregor surprised many and made a positive start to the bout. However, the American said that was part of his plan, he wanted McGregor to throw heavy punches and tire himself out.
“That was our game plan,” Mayweather said.
“Our game plan was to take our time, go to him, let him shoot all his heavy shots early, and then take him out at the end, down the stretch.”
The 40-year-old also announced his retirement from the sport, and steps away from boxing with a perfect record of 50 wins in 50 professional bouts.
You can watch Floyd’s interview here:
WATCH: "This was my last fight ladies and gentlemen." @FloydMayweather bows out after beating @TheNotoriousMMA. https://t.co/lTNcTCzHDP pic.twitter.com/Vl4pLoQfTG
— Sky Sports Boxing (@SkySportsBoxing) August 27, 2017
