Dana White Emphatically Shoots Down Talk Of McGregor/Mayweather 2 | UFC Betting Sites

If a rematch between MMA superstar Conor McGregor and boxing great Floyd Mayweather is to happen, it’ll have to go through without the help of one of the 2017 fight’s co-promoters, Dana White.

Nearly five years ago, fans witnessed a contest billed as “The Money Fight” and “The Biggest Fight In Combat Sports History.” It saw undefeated boxing legend Mayweather share the ring with then-reigning UFC lightweight king McGregor.

After one of the most prominent and widely-broadcast global press tours and build-ups in the history of both MMA and boxing, the two icons of their respective sports entered the squared circle inside the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. After going nine rounds with the multi-time boxing champ, McGregor was finished in the 10th stanza.

Despite the conclusive result, talk of a rematch existed almost immediately. But while that died down in the subsequent years as McGregor’s Octagon form dipped, the Irishman recently brought the topic back to the surface after appearing to accept a second date with “Money” on social media, which came after reports of negotiations for a rematch taking place.

One of the biggest reasons the 2017 crossover bout was able to happen was the involvement of Dana White. The UFC president allowed the Irishman to fight away from the Octagon despite being under UFC contract, and even helped co-promote the bout.

While Francis Ngannou has recently pointed towards White’s decision to allow McGregor to box when discussing the apparent unwillingness to let him do the same against Tyson Fury, it now appears that the UFC chief’s view on crossover events is ‘no’, period.

During a recent interview with TMZ Sports, White gave a pretty emphatic answer when questioned on his interest for a potential re-run of “The Money Fight.”

“That’s definitely (just) people talking. I have less than zero interest in seeing that again,” White asserted. “I didn’t even know (McGregor had accepted), I haven’t seen it.”

While White’s stance has been clear when it comes to UFC champions venturing to the ring, as evidenced by his take on Kamaru Usman’s desire to box Canelo Álvarez, it’s perhaps surprising that the UFC boss has rejected the idea of “MayMac” 2 so quickly given the lucrative success of the first fight.

The bout earned a staggering $938 million, placing it second on the all-time list behind only Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao’s contest in 2015. With that number in mind, it’s no surprise where Mayweather vs. McGregor sits on the pay-per-view buys ladder. Once again second to only Mayweather vs. Pacquiao, the 2017 crossover matchup jumped to second spot after drawing in 4.3 million buys.

Since defeating McGregor to move to 50-0 as a professional, Mayweather has competed in a slew of exhibition bouts, including against YouTube star Logan Paul. Most recently, “Money” shared the ring with former training partner Don Moore in an Abu-Dhabi held match. He’s set to head Japan later this year to face Rizin’s Mikuru Asakura.

McGregor, meanwhile, has stayed away from the ring. His exploits in the cage haven’t been successful, though, with the Irishman collecting just one win in three MMA fights since 2017. The former champ-champ is currently on the sidelines having broken his leg last June.

Given Mayweather’s ongoing exhibition tour and McGregor’s business acumen, it’s not difficult to imagine a scenario where both men agree to run it back. But it’s clear that Dana White will take some convincing…

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