Floyd Mayweather defeats Conor McGregor by 10th round TKO

Floyd Mayweather has beaten Conor McGregor in Las Vegas, claiming his 50th victory and maintaining his unbeaten record. 

McGregor had been written off before the fight, but the Irishman surprised many of his critics with a largely professional display, taking the fight to 10 rounds.

He got off to a flying start, throwing a series of punches at the 40-year-old and scoring a few early points. Displaying some theatrics, the Irishman even put his hands behind his back at one stage.

As the first round wore on, Mayweather went on the offensive but failed to connect and it was the Irishman who was ahead as the bell rung. 

In the second round, McGregor continued the assault and easily held his own against the undefeated Mayweather. McGregor received a warning in the third round as he illegally connected with Mayweather on the top of the head. Despite the breaches, it was a largely controlled, professional display from the MMA fighter.  Mayweather, meanwhile, struggled to stamp his authority on the contest, receiving blows to the head and failing to make an impact on the 29-year-old opponent.  

The American found himself against the ropes early in the fourth round as McGregor went on the attack. Despite apparently trailing the Irishman, Mayweather had time for a wink to the cameras in a show of confidence.

But Mayweather is known to be patient and started to find his groove in the fifth round. Pushing the Irishman back, Mayweather landed a number of blows to the body and his pressure started to pay off in the sixth as the Irishman seemed to tire. 

In the seventh, he finally started exerting serious pressure on McGregor, getting him on the ropes and landing a hard left hook. 

In the eighth, Mayweather maintained the pressure but McGregor remained defiant, landing some shots of his own.

McGregor got Mayweather on the ropes early in the ninth, but Mayweather battered McGregor with a hard right. With the Irishman clearly tiring and with his legs wobbling, Mayweather moved in for the kill but the Irishman survived the round. 

The American finished McGregor off in the 10th round, with the referee stepping in to stop the fight. 

Here’s a brief interview of Mayweather after the fight:

https://instagram.com/p/BYSTK2JjD9u/

Official: UEFA Champions League Draw

The official draw for the UEFA Champions League group stages has just finished in Monaco. And here we have the eight groups. The toughest of them might just be Group H which features Real Madrid, BVB and Tottenham. Interestingly, we also have matchups between Juventus and Barcelona, PSG and Bayern Munich.

Here are the eight groups:

Group A: Benfica, Man United, FC Basel, CSKA Moscow

Group B: Bayern Munich, PSG, Anderlecht, Celtic

Group C: Chelsea, Atletico Madrid, AS Roma, Qarabag

Group D: Juventus, Barcelona, Olympiacos, Sporting CP

Group E: Spartak Moscow, Sevilla, Liverpool, Maribor

Group F: Shakhtar Donetsk, Man City, Napoli, Feyenoord

Group G: AS Monaco, FC Porto, Besiktas, RB Leipzig

Group H: Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, Tottenham, APOEL

Official: Wayne Rooney has retired from international football

England’s captain and former Manchester United football star Wayne Rooney has announced his retirement from International Football with immediate effect.

Here is a statement from Wayne on his decision to retire form international football:

It was great Gareth Southgate called me this week to tell me he wanted me back in the England squad for the upcoming matches. I really appreciated that.

However, having already thought long and hard, I told Gareth that I had now decided to retire for good from international football.

It is a really tough decision and one I have discussed with my family, my manager at Everton and those closest to Playing for England has always been special to me. Every time I was selected as a player or captain was a real privilege and I thank everyone who helpedme. But I believe now is the time to bow out.

Leaving Manchester United was a tough call but I know I made the right decision in coming home to Everton. Now I want to focus all my energies on helping them be successful.

I will always remain a passionate England fan. One of my very few regrets is not to have been part of a successful England tournament side. Hopefully the exciting players Gareth is bringing through can take that ambition further and I hope everyone will get behind the team.

One day the dream will come true and I look forward to being there as a fan – or in any capacity.

Rooney, who currently plays for his boyhood club Everton, retires as England’s greatest ever goalscorer, netting 53 times in 119 appearances, which also makes him the second-highest capped player for the country behind former goalkeeper Peter Shilton’s record of 125 caps.