A circus but who cares?

Purists cringe at the thought of Floyd Mayweather, Jr., the self-proclaimed best boxer in the universe, betraying the integrity of the sport to take on a UFC brawler crossing over from MMA in a match that has ravaged all pillars of decency for the love of money. So who cares? Sports isn’t just entertainment, it’s a business. And the way Mayweather and Conor McGregor have conspired to promote their scheduled 12-round bout in Las Vegas this morning (Manila time) sets the stage for a multi-million dollar event.

Whether you’re a purist or just a sports fan looking for excitement, paying up to watch the fight is a no-brainer. This could be the biggest-selling affair in boxing history and it’s tipped to break the record of 4.4 million pay-per-view hits generated by Mayweather’s bout against Manny Pacquiao two years ago.

Here are 15 factors that could decide the outcome.

• Power. Mayweather has scored only one KO in his last 10 fights dating back to 2009 and that was with a sucker punch on Victor Ortiz. He’s scored 26 KOs in 49 outings while McGregor has notched 18 KOs in a 21-3 record. McGregor has the ability to score a one-punch KO while Mayweather doesn’t. Advantage: McGregor.

• Gloves. The Nevada State Athletic Commission has made an exception to allow eight-ounce gloves, instead of 10, for the superwelterweight fight. In MMA, gloves are four-ouncers. Mayweather is used to fighting with eight-ouncers which are stipulated from welterweight down. The man with power will make more of an impact with eight-ouncers. Advantage: McGregor.

• Age. McGregor is 29, Mayweather 40. The disparity will be exposed in reflexes, timing and stamina. The older fighter will not be as active. Advantage: McGregor.

• Activity. Since 2009, McGregor has fought in 20 fights and Mayweather, 10. But the Irishman has gone only 37 rounds while Mayweather has boxed 112 during that span. Mayweather hasn’t fought in two years while McGregor’s last assignment was in November. Advantage: McGregor.

• Style/Technique. When it comes to boxing, Mayweather is in a class of his own. McGregor is a novice in boxing and it will show when he battles a skilled stylist like Mayweather. Advantage: Mayweather.

• Experience. McGregor has never fought in a boxing match. He’s been strictly an MMA brawler. Mayweather has faced some of the world’s greatest boxers and is unbeaten. That kind of experience is something you can’t dismiss as a factor. McGregor will grope for form in the ring. Mayweather will display his form at the highest level. Advantage: Mayweather.

• Hunger. An expected huge payday will raise Mayweather’s total boxing earnings to about $1 Billion. He flaunts his wealth and spends like money grows on trees. Mayweather isn’t as hungry as McGregor whose previous biggest payday was $5 Million. Now, the Irishman stands to bankroll anywhere between $70 to $100 Million. Advantage: McGregor.

• Defense. Mayweather’s shoulder-roll defense is today’s boxing yardstick. It’s nearly impregnable. He’s elusive, crafty and clever. McGregor will need to crowd Mayweather for a chance to connect and that’s not easy to do. Advantage: Mayweather.

• Cornermen. McGregor will be surrounded by his MMA buddies Oven Roddy, John Kavanagh, and Artem Lobov in his corner. Mayweather is basically on his own because he thinks nobody’s better but in his corner will likely be his conditioning coach Nate (Snake) Jones, a 44-year-old 1996 Olympic heavyweight bronze medalist and Bob Ware who learned how to wrap from retired cutman Rafael Garcia. Advantage: Mayweather.

• Handspeed. Mayweather may be older but his handspeed is still several notches higher than McGregor’s. Videos from McGregor’s training camp showed a lack of handspeed while doing mitts and boxing the speedball. Advantage: Mayweather.

• Footwork. Mayweather relies on footwork to move away from opponents. His lateral movement will go a long way in keeping McGregor off-balance as he charges in. McGregor is a stand-up brawler who likes to come forward and never retreats, making him a sitting duck for Mayweather. Advantage: Mayweather.

• Conditioning. Mayweather hasn’t taken the fight too seriously. He’s been spotted in his Las Vegas nightclub past midnight doing the rounds and it’s not boxing rounds. McGregor has punished himself in the gym to be in peak condition. Advantage: McGregor.

• Legacy. A win will mean more to Mayweather because he’s chasing to break Rocky Marciano’s record of 49-0. Of course, legacy takes a backseat to money in Mayweather’s book. A win for McGregor will open doors for bigger money fights so legacy is still not in his immediate attention. Advantage: Mayweather.

• Quality of opposition. Mayweather has fought the likes of Pacquiao, Miguel Cotto, Juan Manuel Marquez, Oscar de la Hoya, Shane Mosley and Canelo Alvarez. But who has McGregor fought? Advantage: Mayweather.

• Crowd. Las Vegas is where Mayweather lives but he’s not likely to enjoy hometown support. A lot of fans will come out hoping for a Mayweather loss because of his bad-ass image. Mayweather is boxing’s villain and there’s no better scenario than good prevailing over evil. McGregor isn’t exactly a good boy himself but he’s the lesser evil. Advantage: McGregor.

From all indications, it looks like Mayweather will win by a late stoppage.