Most people predicted humiliation for the Irishman on Saturday night in Las Vegas. Instead, his bravery likely guaranteed him even more fame and wealth
Deep into the fight that was supposed to be a farce, Conor McGregor swung, staggering the greatest boxer of his generation. Every McGregor punch seemed to come from a place that said he wouldn’t be a joke, a man wading into a world in which he didn’t belong. More than a few times on Saturday night he surprised Floyd Mayweather – and how many boxers have done that in the last 20 years?
On the night McGregor was supposed to be exposed as a huckster with a mouth, he won by losing. He won by lasting more than nine rounds with a man who many thought would knock him out in seconds. He won by saying he didn’t want to lose in the referee’s arms but flat on the canvas, staring at the arena lights like a great brawler who gave everything he had.
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