Undefeated boxing champ Floyd Mayweather will take on MMA champ Conor McGregor this Saturday night in the latest "Fight of the Century." Read our preview to find out who will win:

The Setting:

Floyd Mayweather Jr. v Conor McGregor - News Conference
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Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor

Where: T-Mobile Arena, Paradise, Nevada
When: Saturday, August 26 at 9 p.m. ET on Showtime Pay-Per-View
Referee: Robert Byrd
Judges: Burt Clements, Dave Moratti, Guido Cavalleri

Tale of the Tape:

Floyd Mayweather Jr. v Conor McGregor - News Conference
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                                        Floyd Mayweather               Conor McGregor

Country:                          United States                          Ireland
Age:                                 40                                           29
Height:                            5’8”                                         5'9"
Weight:                           151 lbs.                                   154 lbs.
Reach:                            72"                                           74"
Record:                          (49-0, 26 KOs)                         (21-3 MMA, 18 KOs)
Odds:                              1/4                                           3/1

Preview:

After nearly a year of hype, two of the biggest names in their respective fight disciplines — Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor — will square off in a 12-round boxing match at the T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada (near Las Vegas) this Saturday night.

The fighters have dutifully, often distastefully, engaged in the obligatory, hate-filled pre-fight trash-talking for the past six weeks. The resulting pay-per-view spectacle is expected to generate an incredible financial windfall for both fighters, with the 40-year-old Mayweather emerging from retirement for an expected $200 million payday and the UFC lightweight champion McGregor hauling in an estimated $100 million.

Fight fans, however, may not get their money’s worth: It’s a boxing match and only one of the combatants is a boxer. It won't be impossible for McGregor to defeat Mayweather, but he’ll have to do in his first match in this discipline what no experienced boxer ever did: beat Mayweather, who retired in 2015 with an unbeaten record of 49-0.

How McGregor Can Win:

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• Start Fast and Furious — Regardless of his training regimen for this fight, McGregor isn’t conditioned to fight a 12-round boxing match. His best shot is using his reach and his ferociousness to overwhelm Mayweather and get him on the defensive. Even if McGregor doesn’t register an early knock out, he could force Mayweather into later mistakes.

• Get Inside Mayweather’s Head — Mayweather is a smart, tactical fighter. He’s only been knocked down once (by Carlos Hernandez in 2001) and rarely has been hurt or in trouble during any fight. However, the boxer could be a bit rusty after his two-year layoff and his 40th birthday. McGregor’s mouth has to be a weapon that helps him capitalize on Mayweather’s trademark confidence. If doubt sets in, McGregor must pounce.

• Skirt the Rules — This is a boxing match; McGregor can’t kick and forearm shiver his way to victory. However, he needs to do everything he can within the rules to muscle and bait Mayweather off his flawless technique. An errant punch or head-butt here and there will be all the better for the underdog.

How Mayweather Can Win:

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• Stay Focused — Last year, ESPN ranked Mayweather the greatest pound-for-pound boxer of the last 25 years. While he’s sure to show some rust, he needs to rely on his ring intellect as McGregor charges. Mayweather wins matches by fighting his fight, not his opponent’s.

• Box, Don’t Fight — McGregor’s best chance is for this match to turn into a brawl. Mayweather can’t allow himself to be goaded into that type of exchange. Jabs, straight right hands, and constant, elusive movement should rule the day, not toe-to-toe haymakers. McGregor has never been knocked out in his career and his chin likely won’t be any softer on Saturday.

• Make McGregor Go the Distance — Mayweather is the only boxer in this fight. The longer the match goes on, the larger his advantage becomes. All three of McGregor’s professional defeats have come via submission, so there is a point at which he may give up physically, even if he’s still standing. Mayweather has to get him there, beating him all the way.

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