Mayweather silences McGregor with 10th round stoppage

FEW OPENINGS

For months, the charismatic McGregor had boasted he would knock out Mayweather and his legions of loyal fans believed every word of a man capable of backing his supreme self-confidence with devastating power inside the octagon.

However, McGregor's lack of ring savvy quickly exposed him as Mayweather clinically dissected the 29-year-old, who was soon reverting to his mixed martial arts roots -- clutching, grabbing and hitting his opponent repeatedly on the back of the head.

McGregor did come out full of fury and menace but Mayweather, long regarded as one of the finest defensive fighters in history, left few openings as he used the first three rounds to feel out his opponent.

Once he had studied McGregor's technique, Mayweather took complete control of the contest by the fourth round and started to land blow after blow on his easy target as the Irishman bravely battled on.

The American's domination was complete by the 10th round as he moved in for the kill to record his first early finish since he stopped Victor Ortiz in controversial fashion almost six years ago.

"I thought it was close," a defiant McGregor argued. "I thought I had him in the early rounds. I thought he was getting me in the middle toward the end.

"But where was the final two rounds? Let me wobble back to me corner. Let me try and recompose myself. You've got to put me out.

"I thought it was a little early of a stoppage. I get like that when I am tired. I get a little wobbly and flowy. But you got to give it to him, that's what 50 pro fights will give you."