Conor McGregor has a tall task ahead of him in battling Floyd Mayweather.

With all the hype, speculation, detraction, and excitement spouted about this fight, it’s still a bit hard to believe it’s actually happening. This time last year the prospect of a Floyd Mayweather versus Conor McGregor matchup possibly seemed fruitless. Yet here we are, potentially the biggest fight in combat sports history ready to take place this weekend. While many fans and pundits, boxing or otherwise, aren’t giving Conor McGregor a lick of a chance, that doesn’t mean there aren’t ways he can shake things up and pull off the upset of the century.

To understand what McGregor will be up against we must first look into what makes Floyd Mayweather such an amazing boxer. Sure, people have said that if this were a street fight Mayweather wouldn’t stand a chance, but I question how true that is. Floyd Mayweather is no chump. Growing up surrounded by a family of boxers has no doubt hardened the pound for pound great over many years and is likely the same fuel that gives him his fighting spirit. Floyd Mayweather has a dog in him which has allowed him to do battle 49 times without a loss. That same fighting spirit has allowed him to win matches even after suffering multiple broken hands throughout his career. Make no mistake, “Money” is as tough as they come.

But besides his toughness, Floyd Mayweather has established himself as a the best boxer of his generation by using a few tools, all of them to perfection. Gone now are the days in which Mayweather stood in the pocket unleashing multiple punching combinations, usually breaking his hands in the process. Mayweather employs a defensive style that sees him tucking his chin into his left shoulder, right glove on his cheek, left forearm and elbow protecting his midsection. The “Philly shell” as the stand is called has forced many a Mayweather opponent to aim solely for his body as his chin is so well protected. They also will find themselves battering their fist on his elbow if they aren’t careful.

Besides his defense, Mayweather makes use of his jab to set the distance and pace as well as mask his sharp movements as he pivots around his opponents for the best angle possible. His main weapon is undoubtedly his right hand which he uses in a variety of ways. He potshots with the right to cut out to new angles.

He potshots when his back is against the ropes either to disrupt his opponent’s offense.

Or he uses it as a power punch either in a combination or while utilizing his famous pull counter.

But make no mistake about it. Mayweather also has a dangerous left hook that could come into play in this fight as well. He can double and triple up on the left hook with blistering speed, something that could cause McGregor a world of trouble.

Conor McGregor has found himself in the role of a lifetime. He could play spoiler to the perceived best boxer to ever live by leaving his comfort zone of mixed martial arts behind. While McGregor is the underdog with good reason, one can’t help but remember everything he’s been able to do in his career so far. While he may have been submitted three times in his career, twice in the early stages of his growth and once last year against Nate Diaz, people shouldn’t harp so much on these losses here. People will opt to say he has quit in him, but when you consider the fact that his two early submissions came about when he was young in his career as well as the fact that he lost a short notice bout to a bigger, experienced and tough individual, it’s hard not to give the brash Irishman credit. He’ll fight anyone, even when the odds are stacked against him. For the most part he has found himself on the winning side of the equation.

So how the heck is Conor McGregor going to penetrate the shield wall that is Mayweather’s defense. But not boxing with him.Already I can sense your skepticism, but settle down and let the magic happen, will ya.

Already I can sense your skepticism, but settle down and let the magic happen, will ya.

Conor McGregor promotes himself as a martial artist not as a striker or boxer or karate expert. McGregor wants to have a game and approach that is different to that of his contemporaries. So why would he approach a boxing match with stringent boxing strategy? The answer is that he wouldn’t.

While many will discredit it’s use in a boxing ring, utilizing a karate/taekwondo stance and footwork during the match will benefit McGregor in a number of ways. He can cover more distance with his straight punches while attacking from a traditional kicking range. While Mayweather may be used to his opponents standing in punching range in order to engage, counter or slip and weave punches, McGregor is more accustomed to doing battle at a far larger range. Keeping your hips balance, centered, and away from you opponent is paramount in MMA which means fighting from a long range rather than in the pocket.

McGregor can’t solely rely on his traditional martial arts training to do all the work however. He’ll have to lean on certain boxing fundamentals as well in order to keep his back off the ropes. He’ll have to pivot out if he’s placed against the ropes and even after throwing combinations. Hitting Mayweather’s shoulders and arms may not be a new tactic, but it will pay more dividends than simply headhunting and hitting nothing but air. Controlling the center is key to everything in this bout and Conor McGregor understands this well. As he takes the center in most of his matches right out of the gate. McGregor will even run back to the center just to be sure he always has the advantage of spacing and distancing.

Lastly we should take a look at what the sparring footage has shown us so far. We may not have the whole story, but from what we gathered we can come up with a few theories. Conor McGregor in the twelfth round against Paulie Malignaggi still looked fresh and still had explosion and pop on his punches. While Malignaggi wasn’t in the best of shape it does showcase that McGregor has been working on his fitness to allow him to push through into deep waters, something people feared would be his downfall. It also shows his ability to land long range left straights as well as the ability to dirty box once in clinching range, controlling his opponents arms while still having purchase to punch.

For the boxing pundits this fight may seem like a circus show, but the reality is that in a fight anything can happen. Floyd Mayweather is a boxing genius, but that doesn’t mean an unusual striking style he isn’t accustomed to won’t give him problems. Conor McGregor isn’t your traditional boxer, kickboxer, or karateka for that matter. He must be prepared to fight in many different styles and forms during this match and reinvent himself constantly from round to round in order to stay unpredictable. One thing is certain, a lot of questions will be answered come Saturday night…that and these two men will be even more wealthy come Sunday morning.

Who do you think wins: Floyd Mayweather or Conor McGregor?

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Jonathan Salmon is a writer, martial arts instructor, and geek culture enthusiast. Check out his Instagram, Twitter and Facebook to keep up with his antics.