No fix, no carrying. Conor was different and that made it take longer for Mayweather to figure him out. Conor fought moving backwards most of the fight too. This is much more tiring, you have to stop plant and push to punch.
Floyd does little things that mess you up. He kept pressing forward and making Conor create distance by being physical. The weight cut, not being a lifelong championship rounds boxer, pressure, the little things that take you off your game… they all gassed Conor out.
People talk about the pitter patter punches; Conor is lucky he didn’t step in with more power punches. Floyd is not a devastatingly hard puncher. He gets guys to make big moves and catches them on the way in to magnify his power. Conor was smart to not walk into punches and keep touching him.
Conor was way better than I expected and it wasn’t because Floyd was being nice. Floyd did what Floyd does – he learned, he frustrated, and he broke him. It was a good stop, not a great stop – could have gone on a little longer but Conner was clearly done. Floyd was just starting to really get on a roll. Conor was going down.
Age matters, size matters, skill matters, and experience is everything. I think it was a win win for everyone involved. The UFC is the one who is in a weird spot. Boxing will be fine but MMA is about to change. How do you generate boxing money for individuals in a league? That is where the next battle is going to be fought. Conor will also own a share of the company before he fights again.
Brian Wright