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Floyd Mayweather on late-round victory: 'That was the game plan'

As the rounds wore on and Conor McGregor's shoulders started to droop, Floyd Mayweather Jr. kept lumbering forward.

In Mayweather Jr.'s first knockout win since 2011, after starting methodically, the 40-year-old boxing legend turned it on in the later rounds and stopped McGregor in the 10th round to move his undefeated career record to 50-0.

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After saying this was his last fight he will retire at that number which breaks Rocky Marciano's all-time record of a 49-0 career record.

It was all part of the plan, according to Mayweather.

It all went according to plan, says Mayweather. Pic: Getty

"That was our game plan," he said after the fight. "Our game plan was to take our time, go to him, let him shoot all his heavy shots early and then take him out at the end down the stretch."

THE RESULT: Mayweather still unbeaten after TKO win over McGregor

McGregor acquitted himself well in the early going, winning by some estimations the first three rounds, or at least two of three, but when the fight got into the fifth and definitely into the sixth round, the Irishman's jabs lost their bite and his lefts lost their power.

At that point Mayweather started to tee off on McGregor landing power shot after power shot and staggering the UFC lightweight champion in the eighth and ninth rounds before putting his night to a stop in the 10th.

"In MMA he fights 25 minutes really hard, (and) after 25 minutes, he start to slow down," he said.

That 25th minute came after the eighth round. The ninth round could have very easily been a 10-8 as it looked like Mayweather had McGregor finished there. But he was saved by a few timely clinches and the bell, but nothing could save him in those final three fateful minutes.

As for Mayweather, his 15 minutes are coming to a close. He has said multiple times to Al Haymon that this would be his last fight and he doubled down on that again after his victory Saturday.

"This was my last fight tonight ladies and gentleman, my last fight," he said to the crowd. "For sure, tonight was my last fight. Tonight I chose the right dance partner to dance with, Conor McGregor, you a helluva champion and to the country of Ireland we love you guys."

Mayweather v McGregor: In Pictures