Add UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo to the growing list of athletes who don’t believe MMA sensation Conor McGregor would have much of a chance if he took on retired five-division world champion boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. inside a boxing ring.
Guilherme Cruz of MMA Fighting passed along comments Aldo made about the potential cross-discipline clash during a Facebook Q&A session Friday. The Brazilian, who lost to McGregor at UFC 194 in December 2015, thinks the undefeated boxer would be a prohibitive favorite.
“Mayweather has the experience of competing for years in the sport of boxing, so I don’t see how,” he said. “Of course, it’s a fight, but it’s hard for us MMA fighters to go to a different world challenging one of the best in the history. I don’t see a result different than a win for Mayweather.”
Aldo also discussed the chances the hyped fight happens at all: “First of all, we don’t know if it will happen or not. There are a lot of things involved, mainly McGregor has a contract to follow so it’s hard to happen, but if it happens, I don’t think he has a chance.”
It’s a long shot, at least based on the early negotiations.
On Fox Sports’ The Herd with Colin Cowherd, UFC President Dana White offered both fighters $25 million apiece as a guaranteed purse with the chance to negotiate a split of the pay-per-view revenue. Meanwhile, Mayweather demanded $100 million during an appearance on ESPN’s First Take.
Not only is that an enormous bridge to gap, but it’s unclear if there would even be enough money in the fight to generate that type of payout.
That said, if McGregor and Mayweather actually reach an agreement, it’s hard to find any notable names who would be willing to give the UFC star a puncher’s chance.
Longtime MMA fighter Tito Ortiz recently told TMZ Sports that McGregor wouldn’t be able to keep pace with any marquee boxer, whether it’s Mayweather or Manny Pacquiao, in a boxing match.
Former heavyweight boxing champion Lennox Lewis stated on social media the type of match would be the deciding factor: “Mayweather if they box. McGregor if MMA.”
Ultimately, that common outlook is the biggest challenge in trying to sell the fight to a mainstream audience. It’s hard to make the case McGregor would be able to step into a boxing ring against one of the best fighters in history and remain competitive, let alone emerge victorious.
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