What happens to Floyd Mayweather if he loses to Conor McGregor?

Floyd Mayweather is 49-0 as a professional boxer, and he has one of the cleanest, most polished styles the sport has ever seen. He can frustrate the most technical fighters out there, and he’s rarely in danger of eating a power punch thanks to his elusiveness and excellent defense.

He’s going to beat Conor McGregor, in all likelihood. There really isn’t any reason to suspect otherwise. Even the fabled “puncher’s chance” seems out of reach for McGregor. Just about everybody with credibility thinks that Mayweather will completely dominate McGregor for the majority of their Aug. 26 bout.

But what if that’s not the case? What if McGregor, one of the best mixed martial artists in the world and a legitimate combat sports expert, surprises all of us and finds a way to beat Mayweather in whatever way possible?

Notably, what happens to Floyd Mayweather?

Damage control

Mayweather is notable among trash talkers for typically being able to back it up, and we’ve never heard him seriously backpedal before. He’ll be in full retreat on his statements following a loss to McGregor, though, and will come up with every excuse he can.

Was he sick going into the fight or did he sustain some kind of injury prior to the match? Mayweather could easily make that excuse and suggest that he should have postponed the fight. Of course, postponing one of the most lucrative matches in boxing history would be a tall order, and that’s another excuse he could make.

Mayweather makes as much money with his mouth as he does with his fists. The first order of business following a potential loss to McGregor is to spin things as positively as possible.

A rematch, probably

There is no way that McGregor beats Mayweather and then completely walks away from the prospect of boxing again. There is too much money on the table, and there will especially be plenty of money on the table for a rematch. The first fight will make hundreds of millions of dollars, and nobody expects McGregor to win.

But Mayweather fighting after his first career loss? That’s something to watch. That’s something a lot of people will pay a lot of money to see. That’s a fight that will earn more money than the first fight — it’s nearly guaranteed.

Mayweather, if he cares about his legacy, will want a rematch. The payday is just a bonus, and both fighters should be more than willing to repeat this entire process while earning hundreds of millions of dollars.

His legacy takes a big hit

The best boxers in the world still command the attention of the masses, though it’s hard to see how long that will last. The Andre Wards, Gennady Golovkins, and big names like that will always draw millions of eyeballs. But just below the highest tier of boxing is a large void where there used to be a massive following.

Mixed martial arts, led by the efforts of Dana White and the UFC, has been eating boxing’s lunch in recent years. Sure, no MMA event has been able to do what Pacquiao vs. Mayweather did, but it’s getting closer and closer. Most importantly, both sports have always maintained that the other competitors would be helpless making the transition.

McGregor would destroy Mayweather if he gets to kick, grab, and apply submissions. Mayweather would destroy McGregor in a boxing ring. That’s the balance, and if it were to be upset by a McGregor win, things get really murky for boxing. Mayweather, the biggest name in the sport, loses to a guy who has never competed in the sport.

His own legacy becomes tarnished in a big way. He owns some of the most impressive wins in boxing history, but the 49 won’t be discussed as much as the 1. Eventually, people might rationalize that he was old and out of his prime, but in the very near future, Mayweather’s legacy is completely and utterly tarnished by a McGregor win.