The world watched eagerly on Aug. 26, as two of the biggest names in combat sports met face-to-face, or rather, face to glove in Las Vegas.

The challenger Conor McGregor, 29-year-old Ultimate Fighting Lightweight World Champion, saw his debut in the world of professional boxing.

The controversial, loud-mouthed, light-middleweight Dubliner was first to enter the ring, as he paraded his way through the roaring crowd.

Opposing the Irishman was the undefeated, 15-time world champion pugilist, Floyd Mayweather Jr., quite possibly the greatest pound for pound fighter in the last two decades.

As the lights dimmed and the walk-up music began, Mayweather confidently approached the ring wearing a black ski-mask and a matching leather hooded tunic, embodying the self-appointed role of antagonist to the letter.

The bout, which lasted nearly 10 full rounds of the 12 that were scheduled, was far more entertaining than many predicted. McGregor came out swinging.

Through the first three rounds McGregor threw nearly four times as many punches as his opponent, doing his best to prove the legitimacy of his presence in the ring. Mayweather, one of the greatest defensive fighters to ever compete in the sport, took his time watching, pacing, and planning.

By the sixth round Mayweather had seen all he needed, and began his offensive, showing the world why his dominance in the ring is undeniable.

The fight ended in the tenth round when the referee pulled Mayweather off a wobbly McGregor, ending the fight by TKO.

The fight although entertaining, did not shift the paradigm of combat sports as many had hoped, with an upset from the newcomer McGregor.

In recent years the sport of boxing has seen pay-per-view purchases decline, possibly due to disorganization in the industry, the public’s perception of internal corruption, or simply the fact that Mayweather is America’s last mainstream boxing star. These factors, coupled with the rapid rise of mixed martial arts, there is no surprise the public would want to see the very best from each sport meet in a titanic super-fight.

The fight itself however, was not the entirety of the performance. For the past several months both men proved why they are not only great fighters, but spectacular showmen.

In a nationwide tour to promote the match, both combatants took the stage together, trading insults and exchanging expletives, in a media circus that catapulted this fight to potentially be the highest grossing boxing event in history, at an estimated $700 million.

After all  is said and done, each fighter could make upwards of $100 million.

To Mayweather, who has a net worth estimated at $650 million, Saturday night’s fight purse may seem a paltry sum.

But to McGregor’s estimated $22 million net worth, the payday from the fight will be quite the deposit in his bank account.

So the question is what lies ahead for these two warriors. Mayweather made it clear in the ring after the fight that he intends to retire completely from the sport of boxing. Not surprising considering the 40-year-old wants his 50-0 record to rest safely, and doesn’t foresee any financial obligation warranting he jeopardize it.

McGregor’s future however, is slightly more uncertain. The Irish scrapper can choose to either return to his roots in the UFC, or continue trying to take the sport of boxing by storm. If the outcome of the match didn’t convince him to, maybe the paycheck will.