UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor has revealed he is keeping track of the speculation surrounding Floyd Mayweather Jr. and a potential MMA bout between the two, but he has many options beyond the undefeated boxer for his next fight. He also expressed his delight at Ronda Rousey’s move to WWE.
The Notorious challenged Mayweather to step into the Octagon, following his example when he ventured into boxing to face Money in August 2017 (Warning: NSFW language):
The 29-year-old hasn’t fought since losing to Mayweather by TKO in his boxing debut. He hasn’t entered the Octagon since he won the lightweight title off Eddie Alvarez at UFC 205 in 2016.
The boxing match between Mayweather and McGregor was supposed to be a one-time event, meant as a challenge for the Notorious to prove himself beyond MMA. Mayweather initially stated he had no interest in fighting in the UFC, but he has since hinted at making the move with videos like this:
The 40-year-old has now twice retired from boxing, and as the owner of Mayweather Promotions, he remains one of the highest earners in all of sports. There’s no real financial incentive for Mayweather to make the switch to MMA, even if another fight with McGregor would likely break the UFC’s pay-per-view records.
With McGregor not competing for some time, the UFC’s lightweight division has seen quite a bit of turnover. Interim champion Tony Ferguson and undefeated contender Khabib Nurmagomedov are set to fight at UFC 223, and the winner of that bout could be in line for a date with the Notorious.
The Irishman could also complete his trilogy with Nate Diaz, who hasn’t fought since his loss to McGregor at UFC 202.
Meanwhile, Rousey has signed a deal with WWE, likely signaling an end to her MMA career, per ESPN.com’s Ramona Shelburne. The former women’s bantamweight champion had been inactive since her loss to Amanda Nunes at UFC 207.
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