Floyd Mayweather stopped Conor McGregor in their megafight in the 10th round Saturday, but many people believe Robert Byrd, the referee in this bout, saved Mayweather from losing the match in the ninth round. You can add FS1’s Skip Bayless to the list of people who believe the Irish-born fighter was close to pulling off the upset and handing Mayweather his first loss.
Skip Bayless thinks Mayweather-McGregor ref gave Floyd a big break in the 9th round
The FS1 debater believes Robert Byrd, the referee for Mayweather-McGregor, saved Mayweather from being KO’d.
Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
According to Adam Guillen Jr. of MMA Mania, Bayless said the turning point in this fight was in round nine.
“The whole thing flipped and turned in round number nine. ... Floyd Mayweather was in trouble in this fight. But, the turning point to me, and I would like to see the video of this came in round nine,” Bayless said.
Bayless noted that the ninth round was the same round Shannon Sharpe, his fellow analyst on FS1, predicted Mayweather would knock McGregor out in. But Bayless thought McGregor would knock Mayweather out in the ninth round. According to Bayless, McGregor was coming off a great eighth round.
“Then in nine, he comes out aggressive and he stunned Floyd. He hit him with a hard left, rocked him and buckled him and Floyd’s in trouble in the corner and when Conor goes in for the ‘kill,’ it happened so fast I need to see a replay, but he had him and Robert Byrd pulls him away.”
So, Bayless believes Byrd saved the fight for Mayweather.
“He took a shot to end it early in round nine and he got pulled off. I swear Robert Byrd saved the fight. He saved it. Byrd, longtime referee in Las Vegas, highly respected. But he gave Floyd a big break he didn’t deserve.”
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