The Fight of the Century is on: Boxing superstar Floyd Mayweather Jr. (49-0) will meet UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor (21-3 MMA) on Saturday, August 26, 2017 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The fight card will air live on pay-per-view starting 10 p.m. ET. Bet on the latest odds and get insider betting tips now.
The touch of gloves before a fight is a tradition in combat sports - a gladiatorial salute between men and women who are about to engage in battle. But when two fighters have serious beef, it’s a legitimate question whether they’ll muster up the respect to touch gloves before the bell rings.
After four press conferences in four days, it’s safe to say that Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor do not like each other. In fact, their trash talk has only gotten more heated leading up to the fight - to the point where you could say they’re straight up disrespecting each other.
But does that mean they won’t touch gloves? Right now, that’s something you can bet on with the boxing odds at BookMaker.eu. Let’s take a look.
Bet on Opening Boxing Odds at BookMaker.eu
Will Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather Touch Gloves Before the Fight?
Yes -221
No +175
Reading Between the Money Lines
Pay close attention to the exact wording of this special prop bet: it asks whether they’ll touch gloves before the fight. So the tradition of walking out and bumping fists after the opening bell doesn’t count towards the bet - it has to be sometime before that.
Before every bout, there is a brief face-off where the ref gives his last-minute instruction. It’s always some form of “Fight hard, fight clean, obey my instructions, touch gloves.” I’ve never seen a ref not ask for a glove touch.
The reason why the “Yes” is such a heavy favorite is most fighters will touch gloves even if they can’t stand each other. They’ll raise their hands staredown out of instinct when prompted.
But for my money, I like the “No” money line at +175. This is one of the biggest fights in boxing history, and an electrified crowd will most likely be pro-Connor. Refusing to touch gloves would fire up his fan base.
There’s also a great chance that the two men are separated by a large group of security, putting physical distance between the two. In MMA, we’ve seen instances where there are so many people between two fighters that it’s physically impossible to touch gloves. That same scenario could happen here, given how Mayweather and McGregor can’t stop jawing once they’re in each other’s faces.
In a vacuum, it’s really a 50-50 proposition. In tossups situations, it’s always a savvy move to go with the bigger payout. In this particular case, it pays out nearly 2-1 what you put in.
Pick: No at +175
Bet on boxing odds at BookMaker.eu now
With the boxing odds at BookMaker Sportsbook, you can bet on boxing all year, from smaller cards to pay-per-view events. Access live betting lines from your mobile device at BookMaker Sportsbook. Mayweather vs. McGregor takes place on Saturday, August 26, 2017 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The fight card will air live on pay-per-view at 10 p.m. ET.
