Floyd Mayweather vs Conor McGregor: Tale of the Tape

Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor will soon let their fists — not their traps — fly, colliding in a blockbuster pay-per-view (PPV) main event inside MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, that pits an undefeated (49-0) boxing legend coming out of retirement against an Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champion with zero professional experience inside the squared circle.

It's a 154-pound boxing rules showdown scheduled for 12, three-minute rounds, which was made official after yesterday's weigh-in event (see full results here). It’s more spectacle than it is sport; however, pride, legacy and “The Money Belt” are all on the line later this evening. Oh, and there’s also millions upon millions of dollars to be made and divvied up once the dust mercifully settles.

If McGregor is somehow able to defeat Mayweather, he would become an instant legend. However, his only real chance is to land a devastating fight-ending blow that rocks Mayweather — McGregor is not going to out-box nor out-counter the greatest defensive counter puncher in the history of the sport.

Indeed, Mayweather is a five-division world champion and Olympian, defeating all of the best boxers of his generation, including Manny Pacquiao. The "Money" legend would only grow bigger with a win over the Irishman, even though there are some who feel an asterisk should be attached to his record if he proves successful later this evening.

Time will tell.

Of course, Mayweather is the odds-on favorite to win tonight, but that gap has narrowed throughout the week, causing panic among sportsbooks far and wide (check out the latest Mayweather vs. McGregor odds right here). He is the physically smaller fighter, as our Tale of the Tape indicates, but it's not always the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog. And, well, he’s been doing this at the highest level for the better part of two decades, while McGregor as mentioned earlier doesn’t have a single professional boxing match on his resume.

In addition to the "Tale of the Tape" above, check out a few fast facts about Mayweather and McGregor ahead of showtime, as well as some other event-related particulars.

Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Boxing Record: 49-0
Key Wins: Manny Pacquiao (May 2, 2015), Oscar De La Hoya (May 5, 2007), Marcos Maidana (May 3, 2014/Sept. 13, 2014), Canelo Alvarez (Sept. 14, 2013)
Key Losses: None

VS.

Conor McGregor
MMA Record: 21-3
Key Wins: Jose Aldo (UFC 194), Eddie Alvarez (UFC 205), Nate Diaz (UFC 202), Chad Mendes (UFC 189)
Key Losses: Nate Diaz (UFC 196)

Of course, there are other outside factors, too, that could influence the final outcome. After all, boxing in "Sin City" has been unseemly in recent years. Nonetheless, here are the people charged with ensuring a clean, fair fight:

• Referee: Robert Byrd
• Judges: Burt Clements, Dave Moretti and Guido Cavalleri

Here’s to hoping that all the hype, all the promotion that went into “Mayweather vs. McGregor” is not dead on arrival. Mayweather is going to Mayweather. How that disciplined, defensive strategy works on a UFC fighter with no boxing experience can either be an action-packed clinic or a predictable 36-minute slog.

MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round coverage of "Mayweather vs. McGregor" TONIGHT, starting with the undercard action on FOX Sports at 7 p.m. ET and then the pay-per-view (PPV) broadcast at 9 p.m. ET RIGHT HERE.