5 Keys to victory for Conor McGregor against Floyd Mayweather

As improbable as it seems and contrary to popular opinion, Conor McGregor does have a realistic chance when he steps into the professional boxing ring for the very first time on August 26th against Floyd Mayweather

Don't get me wrong here. I'm not trying to be politically correct and cover all the bases as responsible purveyors of combat sport are expected to do.

But it would seem that the phrase 'puncher's chance' was specifically invented for someone like Conor McGregor.

As the Irishman himself would tell you, he's "long, rangy, dangerous with both hands and confident as a motherf****r". Not to mention, as MMA guru Firas Zahabi christened it, he possesses the 'touch of death' on his left hand.

Now, McGregor is a phenomenal striker for Mixed Martial Arts standards. But crossing over into a sport that exclusively focuses on the dexterity of the hands, logic would dictate that he would fall short of the mark against the consensus greatest boxer of this generation.

But Conor McGregor seems almost bullish about his chances, even going as far as predicting that Floyd Mayweather will be knocked out within the first 4 rounds.

What fuels this obnoxious, buffetting confidence?

Does an MMA fighter see a chink in the impenetrable armour of Floyd Mayweather that 49 other top-level boxers failed to recognize thus far?

Or does he just believe in his own skill set so comprehensively that the man standing opposite him just doesn't matter?

Either way, for Conor McGregor to accomplish the unthinkable, there are a few key areas that he would do well to focus on.

Here are 5 of them.

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#1 Taunt Floyd Mayweather

Mind games galore

This picture of Conor McGregor fighting Eddie Alvarez at UFC 205 with both his hands tied behind his back went viral.

It spoke to the astounding, almost misplaced confidence of a man who saw fit to tie his hands behind his back in a sport where even a second's lapse can leave you severely concussed.

Only, Conor McGregor destroyed Eddie Alvarez in that fight.

And against Floyd Mayweather - who is not known for being a power puncher - that could be a tactic that the Irishman could yet again choose to employ.

Talking trash to Floyd during the fight or goading him into a false move by letting his guard down may actually be a worthy risk-to-reward investment for McGregor.

It could coax the supremely calculated boxer into an ill-advised move, which McGregor can then capitalize on.

When used at the right junctures in a fight, mental warfare has been known to pay rich dividends.

And being such a master at it, it would be foolish for Conor to not use all the weapons in his arsenal.

#2 Use the right hand

Just depending on the left hand isn't a wise strategy

Floyd Mayweather is known to be a meticulous student of the game. He's been known to pour through hours of his opponents' fight footage, in an attempt to formulate a fail-proof gameplan against them.

The problem for him in this fight is that Conor McGregor has never boxed before. And as such, the only known threat that Floyd can expect from Conor is for the Irishman to look to land that vaunted left hand.

Conor's left hand has knocked countless opponents out in MMA, and Floyd will no doubt be extremely guarded against it.

And that's exactly why McGregor can score with his right.

While Floyd Mayweather harnesses all his attention in nullifying the notorious left hand, Conor can exploit the openings that he may leave and land with his other hand.

It's a classic case of misdirection borrowed straight from a magician's playbook. Just as well, because McGregor needs a bit of magic to pull this victory out of the hat.

#3 Be prepared to go the distance

Conor McGregor has only gone the distance in an MMA fight once

If there is one facet of Conor McGregor's game that comes under intense scrutiny, it's his cardio.

McGregor famously 'emptied his load' against Nate Diaz at UFC 196 and ended up getting choked out by the lanky Stockton native within two rounds.

And although he did address those mistakes suitably in the rematch victory six months on, pundits and fans have raised serious doubts whether he is capable of going the full 36 minutes in a boxing match when he's only ever gone the full 5 rounds (25 minutes) in an MMA fight once before.

On the other hand, Floyd's last legitimate knockout victory came ten years ago against Ricky Hatton, after which he's consistently gone 12 rounds in every fight since.

And if Conor punches himself out in the early rounds without much success - which is a highly likely scenario against a defensive wizard like Floyd - he may be completely comfortable dragging this fight into deep waters and drowning McGregor in a combination of fatigue and accumulated damage.

If Conor wants to avoid a slow, drawn out, painful defeat, then he'd better be prepared to pace himself and last the distance.

#4 Do not head-hunt

Boxers, especially Floyd Mayweather, are highly skilled at getting their heads out of harm's way

With his highly protective Philly shell, masterful shoulder roll, cat-like reflexes and impeccable balance, Floyd Mayweather has earned the reputation of being a defensive mastermind - especially later on in his career.

As such, even the irrepressible Manny Pacquiao - a whirlwind of an offensive boxer - couldn't put his hands on him in their 2015 fight.

The widely held belief is that if the Pacman couldn't connect cleanly against Floyd, what chance does Conor McGregor have?

And if the Irishman goes head-hunting - which is anatomically speaking the smallest legal target on Floyd's body - he's just going to prove that theory right.

Instead, Conor should be looking to hit any part of Floyd's body that falls within range of his strikes over punching himself out by just trying to knock his head off.

Eventually, if Floyd is sufficiently hurt to the body, openings to the head will appear that McGregor can take advantage of.

#5 Be as unorthodox as possible

Conor showing off his Capoeira footwork to Floyd...a sign of things to come?

Boxing purists and fans take pride in the fact that their sport is known as the sweet science, that there is a great deal of method and procedure to it.

Conor McGregor, on the other hand, hails from a world which embraces anarchy and chaos.

While it is true that 49 practitioners that were well versed in the science of boxing couldn't defeat Floyd, this is the first time that he will be up against a man to whom those rules don't apply.

In relatable Indian terms, it's almost the equivalent of an out of syllabus question appearing in the examination.

If Conor McGregor wants to back Floyd Mayweather up and overwhelm him in the fight, it is incredibly important then that he embraces his MMA roots instead of approaching it like a boxer would.

Striking from odd angles, engaging from a range that boxers wouldn't even dream of, confusing Floyd with unorthodox footwork...McGregor needs to employ the lot to give his opponent looks that he hasn't ever encountered in his illustrious career before.

If he manages to do that - and it is a big if - the Irishman may well end up shocking the world on August 26th.

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