5 reasons why Floyd Mayweather would finish Conor McGregor earlier in a rematch

#2. Mayweather dictated McGregor's reactions

A large portion of MMA fans chalked up Floyd Mayweather's victory over McGregor to the Irishman's well-known cardio deficiency. While the cardio issues that have plagued 'The Notorious' for most of his career did indeed play a role in his loss to 'Money', the strategic masterclass that Mayweather employed cannot be discounted.

In the UFC, McGregor is often the one dictating his opponent's reactions. He uses kicks, distance, pressure and non-committal strikes under a mirage of volume to dupe his foes into rushing forward into his counter-punches.

He forces his opponents into a purely reactive mindset. When a foe jabs at him, it's merely so McGregor can rock them with a pull-counter. When McGregor boxed Mayweather, however, the tables were turned. Mayweather often feinted and faked punches as he advanced, drawing out the Irishman's counter-punches, only for 'Money' to counter the counter-punch.

By turning his foe's counters into reactions to his traps, Mayweather was able to stun McGregor with punches when the Irishman believed he was the one on the counter. Knockouts typically occur when fighters are attacked in positions they did not expect to be hit in—thus, it is no coincidence that Floyd Mayweather's most damaging blows came as he toyed with his opponent's built-in reactions.

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#1. Mayweather's defensive boxing

When Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor first locked horns, fans were not given the usual 'Money' experience. Instead of turning the matchup into a defensive boxing affair, the all-time boxing great opted for a more entertaining approach.

Even with Mayweather deviating from his usual strategy, the undefeated boxer's breadth of knowledge in the sweet science was enough to earn him the victory over McGregor. Should Floyd Mayweather use his defensive boxing in a rematch, his performance will be a true shutout.

One of the reasons why McGregor struggled against Dustin Poirier in both of their rematches was due to Poirier's defensive striking. Specifically, the Louisiana native combined his Philly Shell with his counter-punching.

It allowed him to stand right in front of McGregor at punching range while moving his head and shoulder-rolling, causing the Irishman's punches to glance off his shoulders, elbows and forehead. Mayweather landed a counter every time his foe leaned too forward, which 'The Notorious' often does.

McGregor will often lean his torso so far forward that his shoulders are past his hips. While it allows him to add extra inches of reach to his punches, it causes him to lead with his chin, and due to Poirier's defensive boxing skills, he was able to stun McGregor with check hooks every time the Irishman leaned too far forward.

Floyd Mayweather, who is a significantly better counter-puncher than Poirier with a better Philly Shell and superior footwork, can truly punish McGregor for leaning forward if he opts for his more traditional, defensive approach.