The critics are wrong - Conor McGregor has a slim chance of beating Floyd Mayweather and that's all he might need

When the cross-codes ‘super-fight’ between Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather was formally announced this week, the big sportsbooks in Las Vegas opened up with the Irishman just shy of a 10/1 underdog.

Some said those odds weren't wide enough. Respected boxing analyst Max Kellerman went as far to say that McGregor has “exactly a zero per cent chance" of beating Mayweather in a 12-round boxing match.

It's a sporting contest that has had the UFC and boxing industry talking since it was first mooted a year ago. Initially, most people believed it was little more than a fantasy fight. But McGregor has made a career out of making fantasy a reality. And here we are.

When he became a two-weight champion with top European MMA promotion Cage Warriors he vowed to replicate that feat at the sport's highest level in the UFC.

And he made good on his promise, winning the undisputed featherweight and lightweight titles to become the biggest star in UFC history.

But while Mayweather may be the big favourite, McGregor has made a career on backing himself and coming through when it counts.

He firmly believes he can erase the zero in Mayweather’s perfect 49-0 record but, given the fact he hasn't fought in a single pro boxing bout, does he really stand any chance at all?

The answer is yes, but it’s a slim chance. All common sense points to a comprehensive Mayweather victory, either by stoppage or by a landslide decision victory.

McGregor may lack significant competitive ring time as a boxer, and his boxing technique has already been ridiculed by some in the sport, but there are certain qualities McGregor does possess that could help him deliver the implausible.

For starters, the Irishman is going to be the bigger, stronger man on fight night. He’ll have the height and reach advantage and, with the fight set to be contested over 154lbs, the Irishman will be fighting at his optimal weight, just one pound under the UFC’s lightweight championship limit. It’s something of a surprise that Mayweather didn’t insist on the fight taking place at a lighter weight, in order to force McGregor into a tougher weight cut.

McGregor, at 28, is also the younger, more competitively active man. He’s in his fighting prime, fought three times in 2016 and is at the top of his game. In contrast, Floyd hasn’t fought since 2015.

And while his boxing technique has come in for criticism, there can be little doubt the Dubliner has genuine fight-finishing power, particularly in his left hand, dubbed 'The Celtic Cross'.

He stopped Chad Mendes with it, he knocked out Jose Aldo with it and he repeatedly dropped both Nate Diaz and Eddie Alvarez with it. It’s been the unavoidable honey punch that has taken McGregor from brash contender to all-conquering double world champion in the UFC.

That power will be dulled somewhat by the use of 10oz gloves, coupled with Mayweather's legendary defensive boxing skills. But McGregor is nonetheless a proven finisher and, if he's able to land clean, the UFC star may only need one shot.

Let’s be honest, McGregor is almost certainly not going to win a 12-round decision, so his only viable route to victory against Mayweather is to stop him.

While Mayweather tends to bob, weave, parry and counter his way to victories on the scorecards or late on, McGregor has shown a propensity for going for the finish as early as possible, and arguably his best opportunity may come right at the start of the fight.

If he allows Mayweather to settle into a rhythm, it’s likely he’ll struggle to land clean without being punished on the counter. But if he comes out of the traps fast and lands a big shot early on, it could provide him with the best opening for a stoppage win.

It’s unlikely, but McGregor’s lack of boxing experience could even prove to be a useful weapon early on. Against seasoned, well-drilled boxers Floyd can predict, anticipate and counter shots almost involuntarily. But against a wild card like McGregor, whose rangy southpaw technique could look anything but predictable from a traditional boxing standpoint, it could conceivably take Mayweather a little longer to get a read on the Irishman and work out his timing. And in that little grey area could come the clearest opportunity for McGregor to strike.

Those who say the Irishman has no chance are exaggerating. He may not have the top-level boxing experience, but he is an elite-level combat sports athlete who knows all about competing on the big stage in prizefights.

The occasion won’t get to him, Mayweather’s pedigree won’t faze him and he comes into the contest with nothing to lose and an unshakeable belief in his own ability. That makes him dangerous. It may be slim but, make no mistake, he has a chance.

Anything other than a decisive Mayweather win would prove a huge shock. But sometimes in sport one slim chance is all that is needed. Just ask James ‘Buster’ Douglas, who defied his 42/1 underdog odds to stop Mike Tyson in Tokyo back in 1990. Nobody gave him a hope in that fight, just as McGregor has been written off here. But in the unpredictable world of combat sports, you never truly know until it’s all over and the victor’s hand is raised.

And that’s why the world will be watching on August 26.