The most hyped sporting event of the decade is almost upon us and bookmakers have released a range of special bets ahead of Floyd Mayweather’s clash with Conor McGregor. The fight pits the greatest proponent of his sport in the current era against a mixed martial artist that has never contested a boxing match, and logic would tell you there can only be one outcome. If McGregor were to win it would represent one of the greatest upsets in sporting history, but Mayweather is likely to control a contest that is being fought entirely on his terms and grind out the sort of dull victory he has become famous for in the twilight of his glittering career. He is simply too good at boxing and McGregor is too inexperienced at this specific discipline.
As such the best price available on Mayweather is just 1/4, which does not represent a great deal of value. So special bets, otherwise known as prop bets, are a great option for casual fans looking to place some action and make things more interesting. They range from the interesting to the downright ridiculous. For example, you can bet on who Mayweather will walk out with before the fight (Lil Wayne, 50 Cent and Justin Bieber are all in the mix, as is UFC star Nate Diaz, a rival of McGregor). But there are some bets that look intriguing, so we shall focus on them.
First up, method of victory. Professional boxers like Tyson Fury predict a quick knockout for Mayweather. Both contestants have said the fight will not last the distance because they will both be going at it at a furious pace. In somewhat predictable fashion both men have claimed they will secure early knockouts. For McGregor, it could be his only chance of winning as you would expect his inexperience to tell over 12 rounds of boxing. However, if anyone secures a knockout it is likely to be Mayweather as he is not an idiot and he would not have come out of retirement and put his 49-0 record on the line if he was not absolutely confident of victory. Nobody has ever beaten Mayweather, let alone knocked him out, and at the age of 40 he is unlikely to be put down for the count by someone that has never once boxed professionally and is having to learn to go against all his instincts as an MMA fighter and go in with a new style, operating under new rules.
So Mayweather to win by a knockout or disqualification (McGregor could get frustrated and kick him in the head!) is a very attractive 8/11 with Ladbrokes, Coral, Paddy Power and various others. However, it is worth analyzing Mayweather’s recent fights before making that decision. He is not an aggressive boxer. He is arguably the greatest defensive fighter of all time, and he will control the pace, dance around the ring, use his jab and do just enough to win by landing plenty of clean shots. The last time Mayweather knocked out an opponent was all the way back in 2011, and that should not factor into your decision-making process as it came courtesy of a cheap shot while his opponent had his gloves down and was trying to hug Mayweather. Apart from that, his last knockout was a decade ago, against Ricky Hatton. So Mayweather to win on a decision actually looks a smart bet at 11/4 with Bet365, Betfred and various others. You could spread your stake across both outcomes – Mayweather on points and Mayweather via a knockout – and still make a good profit if either comes in. To push it a bit further and get more value, you could take the 13/4 on offer at Unibet for Mayweather to win via a unanimous decision as he is likely to win every single round against McGregor.
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