Author: Tyler Conway

Floyd Mayweather Jr. and his camp have heard all the speculation about his August 26 prizefight with Conor McGregor not living up to the box office or in-ring expectations.

Mayweather and promoter Leonard Ellerbe took to the media Thursday for an open workout and meeting with reporters in an attempt to sell the bout.

“Forget what y’all are hearing. We’re doing crazy numbers,” Mayweather told reporters.

“We are going to blow past our own record of $72 million dollars. What are we talking about? This fight is massive,” Ellerbe told reporters.

Ellerbe also took particular exception to the narrative being created by Oscar De La Hoya and his promotional team, which has taken aim at the Mayweather-McGregor match in recent weeks. De La Hoya called it “disrespectful” to have the bout so close in proximity to the Gennady Golovkin vs. Canelo Alvarez bout September 16.

“It was disrespectful,” De La Hoya said on SportsCenter in June (via MMA Fighting). “I would have thought that Dana White would have a little more respect with this boxing event taking place, because look, you just don’t do that. I mean, it’s like having the Super Bowl and then three weeks later the World Series takes place, the final game. It just doesn’t happen.”

Ellerbe referred to De La Hoya as “that other idiot” and claimed their promotional team was lying about the Canelo fight’s being sold out.

“Jealousy is a terrible thing. Move on,” Ellerbe said. “Why are so worried about Floyd Mayweather?”

Mayweather said he believes his bout with McGregor will sell out even though it hasn’t reached the mark with two weeks remaining.

He also took time out in the presser to apologize for using a gay slur to insult McGregor during their press stop in London. He refused to comment on McGregor’s wearing a C.J. Watson jersey, a barb that not-so-subtly referenced Mayweather’s ex-girlfriend.

“I don’t know anything about any jerseys,” Mayweather said. “Anyone can wear whatever they want.”

McGregor will hold his version of an open workout and press conference Friday. 

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Leonard Ellerbe, the CEO of Mayweather Promotions, said tickets will range from $500 to $10,000 for Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s return to the boxing ring against Conor McGregor.

Greg Beachem of the Associated Press reported the news from Tuesday’s Mayweather-McGregor press conference. The two will fight Aug. 26 in Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena.

ESPN’s Darren Rovell reported the $500 tickets will be “very limited.”

Mayweather, 40, will be making his return to the ring after nearly a two-year retirement. He last defeated Andre Berto via a unanimous-decision victory in September 2015. Heavily favored against the boxing-inexperienced McGregor, Mayweather would move to 50-0 with a victory.

“I’m the A-side,” Mayweather said Tuesday at the presser. “That’s why this b—h had to come to the boxing ring.”

“He looks good for a seven-figure fighter; he looks good for an eight-figure fighter, but motherf–ker, I’m a nine-figure fighter,” Mayweather added.

Mayweather made a record $220 million for his May 2015 win over Manny Pacquiao, including $100 million guaranteed. The “Money Team” leader brought out another $100 million check during the press conference, which McGregor said was for his “tax man.” Mayweather owes $22.2 million in taxes from 2015, per ESPN.com.

Forbes estimates McGregor’s net worth as $34 million, a number that may wind up double.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor finally threw punches ahead of their Aug. 26 megafight in Las Vegas.

Well, at least verbal ones.

Mayweather and McGregor put on a show Tuesday in Los Angeles at their press conference to discuss the former’s return to a boxing ring and the latter’s debut. For his part, McGregor seems fully confident he can end Mayweather’s undefeated boxing run.

“He’s f–ked,” McGregor said during the live broadcast, which was streamed live on YouTube and a number of other platforms.

McGregor, 28, is the reigning UFC lightweight champion and is the only mixed martial artist in history to hold two UFC championships concurrently. While this is a boxing match, McGregor made it clear he sees his discipline as more difficult than Mayweather’s.

“I don’t fear him, I don’t fear his limited set,” McGregor said. “This isn’t a true fight. If this was a true fight, it wouldn’t take one round.”

McGregor also guaranteed he would knock Mayweather out within four rounds and seemingly poked fun at his opponent’s recent tax troubles.

“He’s in a f–king track suit, he can’t even afford a suit anymore,” McGregor said.

Mayweather, 40, will be fighting for the first time since defeating Andre Berto by unanimous decision in September 2015. He’ll be looking to go 50-0 as a boxer and made it abundantly clear to McGregor that he’s the star of the show.

“I’m the A-side,” Mayweather said. “That’s why this b—h had to come to the boxing ring.”

“He looks good for a seven-figure fighter; he looks good for an eight-figure fighter, but motherf–ker, I’m a nine-figure fighter,” Mayweather added.

The highest-grossing boxer in history then brought out a nine-figure check, presumably from his bout against Manny Pacquiao. That led to perhaps the best barb of the presser, with McGregor telling Mayweather it was “for the tax man.”

The crowd, which was an estimated 20,000 people deep, was decidedly pro-McGregor throughout the short press conference. The fight itself will likely be an uphill battle for the MMA pound-for-pound king, as he enters as a significant underdog.

In terms of building anticipation for the fight, this event more than hit the mark. We’ll have to see whether they can actually deliver in the ring.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Floyd Mayweather filed a petition July 5 asking the IRS for a reprieve from unpaid taxes from 2015 until after his fight with Conor McGregor in August.

“Although the taxpayer has substantial assets, those assets are restricted and primarily illiquid,” Mayweather’s petition stated, per the legal website Law360 (h/t ESPN.com’s Darren Rovell). “The taxpayer has a significant liquidity event scheduled in about 60 days from which he intends to pay the balance of the 2015 tax liability due and outstanding.”

Mayweather, 40, made $220 million alone from his 2015 fight against Manny Pacquiao. It is unclear how much he owes the IRS in taxes.

The petition asks the government to reduce Mayweather’s penalty on the unpaid taxes. Given a 15-month lapse since the 2015 tax due date, Mayweather would owe 7.5 percent in penalties on top of what he was already scheduled to pay, according to Rovell.

Mayweather is expected to bring home a nine-figure payday from his bout with McGregor, which is slated for Aug. 26 in Las Vegas. The fight will end a nearly two-year retirement. Mayweather has not boxed professionally since defeating Andre Berto via unanimous decision in September 2015, which moved him to 49-0 for his career.

Forbes estimated Mayweather’s net worth at $340 million in January.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com