McGregor / Mayweather Info ...

[New York Knight]

Daniel Jacobs, Tyron Woodley, and Dominick Cruz will be desk analysts in Las Vegas for FOX on Saturday

[New York Knight]

Brian Kenny and Sugar Ray Leonard will be calling prelims on FOX

[New York Knight]

Update from Vegas:



"Almost to the Mayweather/ Pacquiao handle already with four days of betting left"

[New York Knight]

Update from Vegas:

LV SuperBook ...


"This will be largest wagered upon boxing/mma event ever for us"

[New York Knight]

[New York Knight]

Evan Young (boxing sharp):


"My eyes tell me McGregor can't box with Mayweather. Mayweather is no fool. He is always in shape, and, as usual is the A side in this promotion. If the gulf in class is as vast as I think it might be, he's going to hit McGregor cleanly -- and a lot. Coupled with seeing McGregor getting tired and hurt against middling MMA fighter Nate Diaz,

I lean towards a stoppage win for Mayweather perhaps between Round 6 and Round 10."

[New York Knight]

Eric Bradley (boxing trainer):


"The Mayweather legacy rises once again, as he takes the stage with a one-sided pounding. Mayweather wins by TKO."

[New York Knight]

Abraham Gonzalez (boxing sharp):


"I can see McGregor taking chances early and getting a point deducted out of frustration later in the fight. Mayweather will dominate the fight with shoulder rolls and that laser right hand down the pipe. Mayweather by unanimous decision."

[New York Knight]

Stephen "Breadman" Edwards (boxing trainer):


"Mayweather starts a little slow and after two or three rounds he takes over. He stops Conor between Round 6 and Round 8 in a high-contact fight."

[New York Knight]

Christopher Santiago (MMA sharp):


"I think if McGregor is aggressive he may be able to turn this boxing match into a brawl. He would have to find a way to disrupt Mayweather's rhythm. Pressure him up against the ropes and lay some hands on him. Unfortunately, for McGregor, that's not what I think will happen. Mayweather will pepper the body, draining the stamina out of McGregor, for about five or six rounds until he drops McGregor from body shots in the sixth or seventh round.

Mayweather by stoppage in the seventh."

[New York Knight]

John "Iceman" Scully (boxing trainer):


"I can't see Mayweather losing even a half of a round unless he just plays with McGregor for a little while. On the inside or on the outside, I see Floyd just being miles ahead of this guy.

Anything less than a definitive stoppage would be [shocking] to me."

[New York Knight]

Marcus Figueroa (boxing/MMA sharp):


"Conor's fans would like you to believe that he has insane one-punch KO power. While he did catch Jose Aldo (who rushed him and got clipped by one punch), that has been the exception. Also, in [their] first fight, Nate Diaz made Conor dance before Conor decided he was a wrestler. If you are betting and want to throw some money on Conor, I can't argue. With that said,

I expect Floyd to catch Conor with a body shot and knock him out inside of eight rounds."

[New York Knight]

Michael Mohan (boxing sharp):


"Possibly the greatest boxer of all time will face a man making his professional boxing debut this Saturday. For me, it's a no-brainer -- Mayweather will win by KO in Rounds 8 or 9.

Best value is Mayweather money line and Mayweather by KO."

[New York Knight]

Johnny Wilds ... ESPN INSIDER


The panel above didn't waver, and all eight are picking Mayweather. I'm going to make it a perfect 9-for-9 as I just can't see McGregor beating even an aged, slower or worse version of the Mayweather we have seen for so many years. Boxers with far better pedigree have all failed, and I can't think of a reason to pick McGregor here, especially with the odds so low now. I see Mayweather breaking McGregor down with a vicious body attack and getting the stoppage in the middle-to-later rounds.

Pick: Mayweather -450 or better and by KO -125 or better.

[New York Knight]

Reed Kuhn ... ESPN INSIDER


Most boxing insiders don't give McGregor a chance, and perhaps that bias creates a potential blindspot. The betting market has showered small bets in favor of McGregor, while the heavier action has been for Mayweather. Clearly the squares and sharps have completely diverged, but we should point out that this was this same pattern that preceded the recent massive betting upsets of the British exit from the EU and the U.S. presidential election.

Ultimately there's no arguing that McGregor is new to competing as a pure boxer, and the fact that the market is giving him better odds to win than several prior Mayweather title fight opponents is extreme. At current odds, most smaller gamblers will be getting a relative bargain on Mayweather to win, while the heaviest hitters will likely see prices rise closer to fight night. It's even possible the influx of Irish fans in Vegas later in the week could cause one last dip in price for Mayweather. Patience has been rewarded already for those playing Mayweather, but that time is dwindling. For the value hunters among Mayweather's supporters, counting on McGregor's durability but lack of expertise suggests Mayweather by decision at around +200 is a bargain.

That said, any fighter has a puncher's chance. And arguably McGregor's puncher's chance is elevated by several key factors: his aggression and demonstrated power, Mayweather's age and the smaller-than-usual gloves. With those realities, McGregor's best -- and possibly only -- path to victory is via TKO. Doing what no other puncher has been able to do is a tall order, and still unlikely. It just means that anyone seriously putting money on McGregor for the upset should play only the TKO prop, boosting their return by roughly 20 percent from +400 to +500.

If McGregor is going to shock the world, it will be sudden. Specifically aiming for a mid-round (5-8) finish, giving him time to find a punch to be heard around the world will offer +2000 at some books.