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What's the story?
Floyd Mayweather Jr. defeated Conor McGregor in the biggest boxing match in history, which was termed as the 'Money Fight', held at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday. The result was an expected one, as the American thrashed McGregor after 10 rounds, winning the fight via technical knockout.
The most striking feature of the event was not the standard of boxing displayed by the two fighters but the amount of money involved. Both boxers at the end of the fight raked in humungous amounts, from the pay-per-view and venue ticket sales, along with the personal sponsorships.
As per estimates, McGregor is set to be richer by $100 million, while Mayweather will earn double the amount at around $200 million. While the exact amounts are still to be calculated, Mayweather could be set to become the first-ever boxer to achieve the $1 billion mark in terms of career earnings, if the estimates are true. According to a report by Forbes, he will become just the third athlete to do so, joining the likes of Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods, whose tallies stand at $1.5 billion and $1.4 billion, respectively.
In case you didn't know
Mayweather had announced his retirement in 2015 with an unblemished 49-0 record but he returned to the ring after being challenged to a fight by McGregor, who is perhaps the biggest name in the world of Mixed Martial Arts.
The heart of the matter
The match was widely expected to be a blowout in favour of Mayweather but the Irishman held his own in the initial rounds - starting off aggressively and not giving time to the American to settle into a rhythm.
However, he could not keep it up in the later rounds and as he started tiring out, Mayweather pounced on the opportunity and sealed the deal in Round 10 with a flurry of punches that had forced the referee to intervene and stop the fight.
Despite the loss, McGregor bows out with a hefty sum added to his pocket and so does Mayweather, confirming his status as the world's first billionaire boxer.
What's next?
Mayweather hung up his gloves immediately after the match to retire with a 50-0 record. McGregor, on the other hand, is expected to return to the UFC ring, where he is the undisputed champion.
Author's take
The sums of money involved are quite mind-boggling but these are the result of some smart marketing and brand building. This new landmark cements Mayweather's status as one of the most famous and marketable athletes in the history of sport.
