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

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

Mayweather speaks

“[Conor]’s a tough competitor - we gave the fans what they wanted to see. “He’s a lot better than I thought he was ... he used different angles. But I was the better man ... It was our gameplan to take our time and take him out down the stretch. That was my last fight. Tonight I chose the right dance partner. Conor you were a great dance partner tonight.”

6:00am

Gareth's snap verdict on the finish

.. And it's over. Hard concussive, accurate punches rain in from Mayweather who is hurting McGregor who stumbles across the ring and into the ropes from a right hand, off balance, and is close to going down. The attack continues. Left. Right. Left. McGregor's head is torqued across his shoulders. This is nasty dominance now and Mayweather looks the great boxer and McGregor the MMA fighter. Brilliant, valiant effort by McGregor. After two lefts on the ropes, referee Robert Byrd has seen enough, protects McG and waves it off.

5:57am

Mayweather wins by TKO in the 10th

He could no longer defend himself and the referee had to end it. Mayweather was hitting him at will, walking towards him, cutting off his space and left him with nowhere to go. He stayed on his feet but his legs had gone and his arms must have felt like lead.

Floyd

MAYWEATHER

Conor

Darren Barker G A Davies Mike Coppinger

OUR JUDGES' SCORES

Score average

Round

M c GREGOR

5:54am

Round 10

McGregor is taking too much punishment and the referee steps in. It's over. Mayweather goes 50-0!

Gareth on round nine Massive round and it could be close to the end unless McG rallies strongly. Good right from Floyd. And another. And another. McG holds. Legs are tired. Big assault now from Mayweather, looking for the uppercut to finish thew fight. McG, dives in to hold. Exhausted Ref Robert Byrd pushes them apart, McG is exhausted. Huge round for Mayweather.

Mayweather 10-9

5:51am

Round nine

Mayweather is hit with a body shot that he claims was low. He takes a step backwards now but regroups and targets McGregor's face. His legs are wobbling. This is close to the end now. McGregor is being tagged and falls into the ropes. He's flailing around. Mayweather is looking for the artistic finish. McGregor is spent and is being repeatedly hit with rights to the face. He's got an iron chin but he looks absolutely knackered.

Gareth on round eight Good round for Mystic Mac he just landed more. Not hard, not dangerous but just landed more. The Irishman has rallied and believes in himself. It was a close round though.

McGregor 10-9

5:50am

Round eight

It's his first fight. He won the first two rounds or was allowed to as Mayweather surveyed the danger, but McGregor has now punched himself out. Mayweather is having the tie of his life, walking forward, cutting off the ring, throwing and landing punches at will.

May heats Mac with a right cross

Gareth's round seven verdict Series of big right hands from Floyd who looks like he is seeking a finish now. He rocks McGregor's head back twice. May also lands good right. McG so focused though and his will keeping him in there looking for a chance. But Mac v tired. Mayweather 10-9.

5:46am

Round seven

Better from McGregor circling round Mayweather but his shots have no force. Now it's time for the schooling, hitting him repeatedly with rights into the hip, stomach and face. McGregor is bleeding from the mouth. Carl Froch says he isn't at all impressed by McGregor and expected a lot more.

Gareth on round six May really switched it up that round and was more aggressive than he is accustomed to be. McG finding it hard in there but enjoying the challenge. Looks to be tiring. Cheeky tongue from Mac, and hands behind back. May starting to control. Fight even. Mayweather 10-9

5:41am

Round six

Mayweather is on the way forward all the time now virtually, upping the power with a burst of body shots to the ribs. McGregor is having to improvise. In truth it's all improvisation. McGregor is sitting behind the jab but his chin is up and vulnerable and he is not landing anything significant on Mayweather. He did turn round and McGregor slapped him round the back of the head but the ref stopped that intrelude quickly.

Gareth on round five McG still working hard but May goes top his stomach again and then a right from the American. They tie up. McG is so much bigger. Left-right from McG but not power. Body again from Floyd then that use of elbows he does in the clinch. Fast right from May. May holds glove over, McG flips him off. Crowd loves it.

Mayweather 10-9

5:38am

Round five

Mayweather is clearly enjoying himself, flashing a wink at Carl Froch at ringside. McGregor looks exhausted and Froch says his punches now lack power. Mayweather unleashes a right straight to the cranium then they exchange body shots . Mayweather gives him a shove after the bell to move him out of the way.

Gareth on round four Weird so far from Mayweather. But he's opened up a bit more this round and although he's landing he's also getting caught. Good shot on McGregor's body. Twice. McG is game though. Good left from McG and crowd goes with him. May weather warned up now but he does look old. Mayweather 10-9.

5:34am

Round four

McGregor ramps it up at the beginning of the round again but Mayweather is the master of not getting tagged. He begins to take over, smashing a couple of right hands into McGregor's chin and kidneys. Those vicious body shots are taking a toll on McGregor who is going forward consistently now for the first time in years. He whips a sidewinder of a right hand into McGregor's face and hits him with a left cross. he takes one himself but a great round for the undefeated former champ.

Gareth on round 3 McGregor unorthodox movement from MMA making safety first Mayweather unsure what to do yet. He's just waiting. McG beginning to blow a little.

McGregor 10-9

5:31am

Round three

McGregor is looking for the uppercut and the left hook but is not averse to the cuff round the back of the head. Mayweather's timing is not right yet but he is hitting McGregor with body shots and McGregor's mouth is wide open and he is breathing heavily.

Gareth on round two.

5:25am

Round two

McGregor again starts on the front foot backing Maywaether into the corner until he forces his way out. It's very cagey so far, no pun intended. McGregor cracks a right on to Mayweather's chin, shuffles and goes forward again but Mayweather sticks him with two wicked body shots. McGregor doesn't look like a novice at all ... until he grabs Mayweather round the waist and the referee pulls them apart.

Gareth on round one: Very smart round by McGregor, excellent attacks, pawing with the left, relaxed and letting his hands go. Showboating for confidence. Floyd can't get in. Score McGregor 10-9

5:21am

Round one

McGregor is immediately on the attack and unleashes a few body shots. Mayweather sits on the ropes and makes his assessment, covering up. McGregor throws out the right jab into Mayweather's head. The undefeated Mayweather starts to respond after 90 seconds but is wary of getting too close to that left hand, playing peek a boo. Mayweather slips a big left but doesn't take any damage bar one uppercut. McGregor towers over Mayweather. McGregor's start was fine. Maywaether did nothing.

5:18am

They're listening to the instructions for the last time

'This will be a clean, professionally fought bout under boxing rules. You hear me says stop and that's what you'll do. Obey my commands at all times. Gentlemen, let's do this.' It's finally on.

5:14am

Here we go

Very dark look from

@FloydMayweather for

@TheNotoriousMMA fight

pic.twitter.com/XzqwCbc9QI

— Gareth A Davies (@GarethADaviesDT) August 27, 2017

We'll be publishing the round by round scores of our three judges. We have a new judging tool/graphic. Our three judges are former boxer Darren Barker, Mike Coppinger, senior writer for Ring magazine, and our correspondent, the one and onliest Gareth A Davies. We'll be publishing their round-by-round verdicts throughout the main event but in the succeeding round so as not to hold things up.

5:11am

This is on

And here comes Mayweather wearing a balaclava. As you do

5:07am

And here's Gareth's final take on McGregor

The legion of pugilists swept along on the green flag of the Emerald isle are known as the 'Fighting Irish' for so many reasons, criss-crossing both historical and apocryphal themes, and in Conor McGregor, the Celts have the latest star to emerge in a milieu decorated with fists, scars, and glory. And that torch carries a long history in Ireland and among Irish-Americans.

While stereotypes of the Fighting Irish remain, what cannot be denied is that this Irish fighting spirit was forged through years of strife at home, prejudice abroad, with the populace having overcome, in different eras, famine, discrimination and bitter civil unrest. Even more remarkably, with a population of just 6 million people they have had an impact on the world stage, bringing a lineage of elite-level fist fighters to the fore over hundreds of years, and the creation of folk heroes who have enjoyed success in both professional and amateur rings the world over.

None of it has been lost on McGregor. The warrior spirit within him, he feels deeply in his bloodline. It is something Conor himself has spoken of poetically, almost like a fighting ballad. “The Irish passion for fighting comes from a long history of battle,” UFC star McGregor explained to me as he began his rise up the rankings. “We have a troubled nation; we fought for our independence, we fought for our freedom. I know my ancestors and my bloodline is on the battlefield; they were doing it riding a horse with a sword, swinging an axe. Now I'm doing the same thing in the Octagon.” And tonight, in the ring, in a few minutes time in Las Vegas, in the Mecca of the greatest modern fight nights, McGregor has an opportunity to display his brilliance.

Look anywhere, historically, and in the 19th century alone Irish soldiers made up a significant body of men joining the British and American armies. Dig a little deeper into the dusty history books, and there was even a contingent of Irish Catholics who fought for the Mexicans in the American-Mexican War in the mid-Nineteenth century, and became known as ‘Los San Patricios’, literally in Spanish, ‘Those of St Patrick’.

Worth recalling, too, that even Muhammad Ali had Irish forebears. Ali's great-grandfather, Abe Grady, was born and had grown up in Ennis Town before he emigrated to America in 1860, where he married an Afro-American woman, an emancipated slave. Ali's mother, Odessa Lee Grady, was Grady's grand-daughter.

UFC President Dana White believes McGregor has emerged as one of the great stars from any era of fighting, and White should know, being from Boston and of Irish descent himself. There is an affinity there, a knowing. You can see White grinning when McGregor makes his verbal and mental assaults on opponents as he hypes his fights before the physical battle begins, the barbs from McGregor interlaced with cutting humour and unadulterated self-belief. What White sees, which we all see, is that the fighting spirit, the absolute comfort in the cool adrenalin of the fight moment, is there, deep, deep in McGregor's DNA.

“Guys in the fight business, real fighters, The Conor McGregors, the Ronda Rouseys, the Jose Aldos, these people are born that way,” explained White to me. "People love the Conor McGregor style. And people either love – or hate – the showman."

“Conor McGregor came into the UFC and showed everybody he's a killer, man. This kid comes to kill you. He comes to take you out, finish you. Conor is not just good at the talking and everything else, he's good at every type of warfare there is in the business. The mental warfare, the physical warfare, the whole thing. He's born to it."

And for one simple reason: Conor McGregor 'The Notorious One', is the latest in the great line of the Fighting Irish. And he will not be denied. Now is the moment of truth.

5:06am

Here come the fighters

Wrapped in an Irish tricolor and with appropriate music.

5:05am

The national anthem of the United States of America

Is being murdered by Demi Lovato accapella style. Which means it's almost time for a punch up the proverbial bracket.