Opinion: Conor McGregor’s First Boxing Match Should Be His Last

Editor’s note: The views and opinions expressed below are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Sherdog.com, its affiliates and sponsors or its parent company, Evolve Media.

* * *
No matter what happens against Floyd Mayweather Jr., Conor McGregor should never box again.

It seems bizarre to say when you consider he’s facing arguably the greatest pound-for-pound boxer of all-time and could potentially cash a nine-figure check when it is all said and done this Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. However, McGregor doesn’t need to box again after he faces Mayweather. What’s the point?

Let’s assume the most outlandish of outcomes takes place and McGregor knocks out Mayweather. The fallout would be tremendous, and McGregor would immediately crown himself as the “King of Boxing.” Kings should defend their crown, right? Not in this case.

Assuming McGregor pulls off what would arguably be the biggest upset in sports history, the only place he can truly go is down. If you are David, you don’t give Goliath a rematch, and more importantly, you don’t give everyone else a chance to ruin your pristine record. A 1-0 boxing record with that one victory being over the previously unbeaten Mayweather would be absolutely legendary and could serve as a massive bargaining chip that the Irishman can take back to the Ultimate Fighting Championship when negotiating his next fight.

McGregor’s celebrity would reach unattainable heights considering he’d forever be known as the man who conquered boxing. While it sounds interesting to see what he’d do against the likes of Saul “Canelo” Alvarez or Gennady Golovkin, one has to wonder what real benefit there is to be had in facing them. He won’t earn nearly what he’ll make against Mayweather, and the risk against boxers who are in their prime years is greater than the reward. McGregor’s legend would only grow exponentially if he spent a majority of his time agitating the boxing community; and you can only imagine the kind of offers he would receive as an actor or to sponsor a product.

What would be the point in McGregor ever fighting again, even in the UFC? Being a two-division world champion in the UFC and knocking out the greatest boxer of our era would be unprecedented, and it would easily etch his name into the history books as one of the greatest athletes of all-time. Why risk that by taking another fight? Much has been made about the fact that he has never defended the UFC titles he won, but that has also become part of his persona. He conquers and moves on. No reason to stay and defend.

Of course, the money might be too much to turn down, but it’s highly likely that “Mystic Mac” already has plans for other business ventures that could sustain his lifestyle after he rakes in somewhere in the neighborhood of $100 million against Mayweather. If there’s one thing McGregor has proven beyond anything else, it’s his business acumen. Walking away from the sport before it ruins your life is probably the best thing for McGregor, should he pull off the upset of a lifetime. Legacy would -- and should -- be everything to McGregor.

If McGregor loses, why box again? Every boxer that has ever walked the planet earth will see McGregor as a target, and although the UFC lightweight champion’s ego will be badly bruised, there’s no sense in trying to redeem himself inside the ring. The money will be less and the allure will be nowhere near what this event has created. We all would like to see what really happened between McGregor and Paulie Malignaggi, but how much interest would there be in that fight if the Irishman loses to Mayweather? How much money would he earn by stepping back into the boxing ring? Again, what’s the point?

Even if he were to beat Malignaggi in a boxing match -- assuming that it would be the one on the table -- the skeptics would be highly critical of him beating a retired Showtime commentator. McGregor is all about daring to be great, not mediocre, and beating Malignaggi, or just about any boxer not named Mayweather, wouldn’t allow him to be great. It’s highly unlikely that Mayweather would face McGregor in a rematch if he were to win, so the options are fighters who aren’t recognized on Greatest of All-Time lists. It wouldn’t make sense for McGregor to allow a boxer to earn a significant payday off of his name.

Ultimately, this should be a one-off bout of the highest order. No matter what happens against Mayweather, boxing should be in McGregor’s rearview mirror.