What are Conor McGregor’s Best Strategies to Beat Mayweather?

With the fight approaching closer, now is the perfect time to break down Conor McGregor’s best strategies to beat Mayweather.

On August 26th, two of the biggest combat sport athletes of all time will face one another in what will likely be the biggest fight in history. Conor McGregor will be making the move into professional boxing for the first time to take on arguably the greatest boxer to ever live, Floyd Mayweather Jr.

At first glance, this looks like one of the biggest mismatches of the past century. Look a bit closer however, and you’ll find that McGregor has a few attributes that could actually give Floyd problems. Here are a few of McGregor’s best strategies to beat Mayweather.

Pressure from the first bell

Floyd Mayweather is perhaps the best defensive boxer on the planet, although many of his past opponents have been criticized for not putting enough pressure on the undefeated champion. That’s obviously easier said than done, but the few times we’ve seen Floyd struggle has been against fighters who have pushed the pace from the opening bell.

Conor McGregor’s past 5 opponents

• Chad Mendes – Win via TKO
• Jose Aldo – Win via KO
• Nate Diaz – Loss via Sub
• Nate Diaz – Win via Decision
• Eddie Alvarez – Win via TKO

Conor McGregor should have no trouble with this. He comes from the MMA world, where you only have a few rounds to earn a victory. Take his fight with Chad Mendes for example. In this fight he charged at Mendes from the opening bell and Chad eventually folded under the pressure.

One of McGregor’s best strategies to beat Mayweather in this fight will be to put pressure early and make Floyd respect him. This certainly doesn’t mean to fight recklessly, but if Conor will win this fight, it will likely be early. Most online sportsbooks in the UK seem to agree, including Paddy Power who lists McGregor’s odds to KO Floyd within the first 4 rounds at 25/1.

Switch stances

Mayweather is a southpaw fighter with a devastating left cross, however he’s also shown he can land hard punches with his right hand. Floyd Mayweather has struggled in the past when dealing with southpaws, which leads many to believe Conor has a real shot here, but an even better strategy is to switch up his stances.

In MMA, switching stances is much more commonplace, particularly after throwing a kick or going for a takedown. If he can bring a bit of this unpredictability to the cage, he has a real shot at getting the upset victory.

This is without a doubt one of McGregor’s best strategies to beat Mayweather. He has posted pictures on his Instagram in the orthodox stance, prompting some to believe he’ll be using both stances in an effort to confuse Floyd. This might allow him to earn a KO victory. Paddy Power lists his odds to earn a stoppage at 9/2.

Use his MMA skills in the ring

This fight is under purely boxing rules, and the use of any strikes with the legs, elbows or knees will likely result in an immediate disqualification. With that being said, Conor will still be able to utilize a number of skills he’s learned in MMA.

One example is inside the clinch. Floyd has been known to clinch with his opponents when hurt with a punch, but that may not be the best idea against Conor, who will likely dig for underhooks and push Mayweather off balance.

His karate-like in and out movement is another MMA skill Conor can utilize. If he can dart in with a punch and get out before being countered, he has a real shot at making UK gambling news with the massive upset.

These are just a few of McGregor’s best strategies to beat Mayweather. He has likely studied his opponent for years, and even the best boxing betting experts are having a hard time predicting what will happen. Head to Paddy Power to find a full list of McGregor vs. Mayweather betting odds!