One could argue getting paid over $100 million for half an hour’s work in a boxing ring is the best job in the sporting world.
If Conor McGregor has the most desired job in sport, Christian Petersen surely has the second best.
The mega fight was an event of gigantic proportions. Countless huge celebrities gathered to watch boxing’s historic matchup in T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, paying thousands for seats close to the ring.
But even the richest of the rich couldn’t get this close to the biggest bout in combat sport’s history.
Petersen is a photographer for Getty Images and is behind most of the iconic snaps of McGregor vs. Mayweather, which lit social media ablaze.
Petersen spent the entire night watching boxing’s odd couple duke it out with his elbows resting on the ring while rapidly hitting the shutter button on his camera, all while Twitter had a blast with his pics.
Petersen said he was surprised to hear the venue had not sold out for the fight, claiming the crowd’s roar as the night went on became almost unbearable.
“It was just crazy in there,” he told News.com.au. “It was no disappointment and it wasn’t like the Pacquiao-Mayweather fight.”
Petersen described the moment Mayweather entered the arena with his peculiar balaclava costume.
“Everybody was standing as he came in with a mob of people,” he said. “It was quite a get-up but these guys are showmen — they know how to have everyone in awe.”
Based in Glendale, Arizona, Petersen’s job is to be flown across the planet by Getty Images to capture the world’s biggest sporting events, but he says Mayweather-McGregor was one of the biggest he’s ever covered despite being sent to five separate Olympics.
“It’s easily in the top three events I’ve ever covered in my life … all the fights were great and had good action. My heart was pumping through my chest,” he said.
Petersen said Super Bowl XLIX was one of his all-time favorite events to shoot for Getty.
“We (Arizona) hosted the Super Bowl (in 2015) with the Seahawks and the famous interception in the final seconds.”
“A lot of pressure is put on you to perform. (But) the opportunities Getty give me are seemingly endless … it’s like one big family.”
Of the thousands of images taken that night, Petersen says his favorite is the one where Mayweather is landing a hook on McGregor’s cheek and sending the Irishman’s spit and snot flying from his face.
Only one question remains for sports fans: Is Getty hiring?