Mayweather vs McGregor

It's just a matter of hours now until Mayweather vs McGregor, one of the most eagerly anticipated boxing matches ever.

Tonight's fight looks sure to smash all existing pay-per-view records - and after months of trash-talking, a world tour, and Friday night's weigh-in, fight night is finally here.

Saturday night will see out-of-retirement best boxer of his generation Floyd Mayweather facing the UFC's biggest star, Conor McGregor, in Sin City.The T-Mobile arena in Las Vegas will be packed to the rafters but millions more will be watching the fight via TV around the world.

After a long period of speculation about whether the fight would ever take place, the last few months have featured high levels of animosity on both sides, as the rivalry heats up ahead of fight night. 

This will either be a boxing bout for the ages or a cross-code money-spinning abomination, depending on your point of view.

Whichever camp you're in, here's all you need to know about the fight between the man with a 49-0 boxing record facing and the Irish fighter who has never taken part in a professional boxing fight.

What date is the fight and at what time?

The fight is happening on Saturday 26 August.

While the times haven't been announced, it will certainly be a late night or very early start for viewers in the UK, so expect to be up well into Sunday 27 August, and possibly calling in sick on Monday 28.

The main event begins at 4am BST, but the fight itself may start closer to 5am.

How can I watch it on TV?

Sky Sports Box Office will show the hugely-anticipated clash for £19.95 in the UK and €24.95 in the Republic of Ireland. You can buy the fight online here, through a Sky box or online the telephone - 03442 410 888. If you're calling from the Republic of Ireland, it's: 0818 220 225.

Telephone bookings after midnight on Friday will increase to £26.95 (online purchases remain at £19.95) before reverting back at 7am next Sunday. The fight will also be repeated in full at 10am and 5pm that day.

What if you do not have Sky? Can I live stream?

Fear not, with the Sky Sports Box Office app you can watch the fights live via your PC/Desktop/MAC, NOW TV box, iPhone, iPad, Android phone or Android tablet.

It's simple to sign up, pay and watch - create an account and pay at www.skysports.com/boxofficelive.

Virgin TV customers (with a TiVo® or Virgin TV V6 box) can also watch the fight on Sky Sports Box Office. It costs £19.95 for SD and £20.95 for HD.

Alternatively, a selection of Vue cinemas will be showing the fight on the night too.

What are the odds?

Bookies immediately predicted a Mayweather win as soon as the fight was announced. William Hill initially priced the veteran fighter as 1/11 favourite. He's now significantly shorter, but still substantially favoured, at 2/9 .

Oddsmaker Nick Bogdanovich said the odds would be even more lopsided if it wasn't for the deluge of small bets expected to come in from UFC fans on their fighter.

What is the latest news?

Conor McGregor has revealed he first targeted a fight with Floyd Mayweather before he had even established himself in the UFC.

The Irishman on Saturday makes his professional boxing debut when he faces Mayweather at Las Vegas' T-Mobile Arena.

He does so as the UFC's greatest asset, but enters a fight that could prove hugely uncompetitive even if it pays him his greatest ever purse.Saturday's match-up has gradually been building for the past two years as interest grew in the rivalry between the two biggest figures in their respective codes.

However, even though only a year ago a fight between them appeared little more than a fantasy, for McGregor it has almost been part of a grand plan.

As a young, raw, little-known fighter in Ireland he admired Mayweather from afar and was influenced by the American's criticism of MMA.