Conor McGregor: 5 strategies for the UFC star to have a chance against Floyd Mayweather

Conor McGregor taking on Floyd Mayweather Jr. in a boxing match is one of the biggest spectacles in modern sports. It’s also one of the most one-sided matchups in boxing history.

While McGregor is unquestionably a great MMA fighter, stepping into the boxing ring is a completely different battle.

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No matter how much one enjoys McGregor’s fight style, domination in MMA, or his wild personality, let's face it: McGregor faces an uphill battle against such an experienced (and successful) boxer. But that doesn’t mean he can’t at least make things competitive for a while.

Another major factor for McGregor? In UFC, he fights with 4oz gloves—but now it’ll be 10oz gloves for the 154-lb fighter against Mayweather.

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Had Mayweather’s team wanted McGregor to have to starve himself down to weigh-in at 147lbs, it would have been 8oz gloves, so that extra padding could make all the difference in McGregor's punches.

Here are five things McGregor can do to make this a decently competitive fight.

Conor McGregor: 5 strategies for the UFC star to have a chance against Floyd Mayweather

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5. Go Hard Early

You might not expect to hear some positive analysis of McGregor-Mayweather coming from McGregor’s UFC rival Nate Diaz, but, in March, the fellow MMA star gave some advice. Diaz said that McGregor would have a “good chance” to make “something happen” in the early rounds if he takes advantage.

“I think it’s a big publicity stunt, but my take on a boxing match between the two—I think McGregor’s got a good chance to make something happen in (the first) two or three rounds,” Diaz said on CSN Fights. “But I think he’s got an amateur style where he’s only got good movement, good punches for six, eight minutes, and I think that’s too amateur for Mayweather. I’m just saying he’s got a puncher’s chance—if anything.”

4. Be Unorthodox

McGregor has long odds to beat Mayweather—no one else has been able to do it yet, either—but one boxer who gave him a challenge was Marcos Maidana. In their two fights, Maidana found some success against Mayweather by being unorthodox and almost making the bout a street brawl.

As long as McGregor doesn’t do something stupid, he can use some unorthodox techniques to put Mayweather off his game.

3. Be Patient

With Mayweather being so much more experienced in the ring, McGregor would serve himself well to stay patient and wait for a potential opening. In this fight between Sergio Martinez and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., Chavez gives a good example of what McGregor could try and do. (McGregor has nowhere near the boxing skills of Chavez, of course.) For 11 rounds, Martinez basically toys with Chavez—until Chavez unleashes a flurry of fists and puts Martinez onto the canvas. Yes, Martinez ended up winning the fight after getting up, but as the saying goes: All it takes is one punch.

2. Maintain His Mindset

McGregor has a lot to overcome against Mayweather, but one thing he can rely on is his mindset. In a 2013 interview while on The Late Late Show in Ireland, McGregor all but revealed his mindset in the Octagon: "There is only one thing that is impossible, and that is to beat a man that doesn't give up," he said.

If McGregor can maintain that mindset and use the motivation that took him from cashing welfare checks to multi-million dollar fights, he can give Mayweather a battle.

1. Pray

OK, yes: This is a bit tongue-in-cheek. But at the end of the day, McGregor is taking on one of the most accomplished boxers in the history of the sport. As a fighter without a true professional boxing match under his belt, McGregor faces a tall task to win against Mayweather. No one is giving him much of a chance—certainly not Las Vegas—but McGregor can put his faith to the test and push himself harder than ever before. If he does that, maybe he’ll have a fighting chance.

Guess we'll have to wait until August 26 in Las Vegas to find out.

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