We’re about three weeks away from the biggest boxing match in history – maybe the biggest match in all of sports. Floyd Mayweather Jr. is coming out of retirement August 26 to fight UFC Lightweight champion Conor McGregor at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, and they won’t be in the Octagon, either. Here are eight things you need to know before placing a bet on this incredible fight.
 

1. Mayweather vs. McGregor (aka The Money Fight) is a sanctioned boxing match under the auspices of the Nevada State Athletic Commission. They’ll be fighting 12 rounds in the light middleweight division (154 pounds), wearing 10-ounce boxing gloves.

2. McGregor (21-3 lifetime, 18 KOs) has never fought an officially sanctioned boxing match – as an adult. He was an All-Ireland champion at the youth level, fighting out of the Crumlin Boxing Club in Dublin, but McGregor had turned his attention to MMA by age 16.

3. Mayweather (49-0 lifetime, 26 KOs) is coming out of retirement at age 40. His last fight was in September 2015, when he beat Andre Berto by unanimous decision to retire as the lineal welterweight champion (147 pounds). There are no titles on the line in this bout.

4. McGregor’s last MMA fight was in November, when he beat Eddie Alvarez for the UFC Lightweight title (155 pounds). McGregor was also the Featherweight champion (145 pounds) at the time; he’s since been stripped of that belt.

5. Mayweather opened as a –2250 favorite at Bovada when the concept of this superfight was floated after McGregor’s win over Alvarez. At press time, Mayweather is a –550 favorite.

6. McGregor is 11 years younger than Mayweather at age 29, one inch taller at 5-foot-9, with a two-inch reach advantage. He’s also a southpaw, although he’ll switch stances inside the Octagon; Mayweather is right-handed and fights in the orthodox stance. He’s 9-0 lifetime against southpaws with four knockouts.

7. Mayweather is expected to make over $100 million for this fight, while McGregor is believed to be making about $75 million in his official boxing debut.

8. This fight is being priced at around $100 on pay-per-view and $150 on closed circuit. The over/under for PPV buys is a record 4.99 million, with the over pegged at –260.

 

*Odds as of August 4, 2017