First, Floyd Mayweather announced the bout. Now we have the odds for his Aug. 26 return to the boxing ring against Conor McGregor.
OddsShark posted updated odds that show Mayweather as a -800 favorite (bet $800 to win $100) to win the bout. McGregor is currently a +500 underdog to give Mayweather his first loss as a professional.
Mayweather, 40, has not fought since defeating Andre Berto via unanimous decision in September 2015. Speculation about his return to the ring has been ongoing for more than a year, and the Mayweather camp has focused on a megafight with McGregor for months.
McGregor, UFC’s brightest star, came to an agreement with the mixed martial arts promotion about his purse split in May. He has never fought in a boxing ring professionally but is known as perhaps the most powerful pound-for-pound puncher in MMA. The 28-year-old is the only MMA fighter in history to hold two UFC championships concurrently.
For nearly all parties involved, this bout stands to be a major financial windfall.
Mayweather, despite a sordid history of domestic violence and myriad other controversies, remains boxing’s most popular name. His May 2015 win over Manny Pacquiao broke every boxing record for pay-per-view revenue, and he should waltz his way to another nine-figure payday against McGregor.
Perhaps the most popular mixed martial artist in history, McGregor is a splendid self-promoter who has combined WWE-style trash talk with unquestioned success. He could make more in one fight against Mayweather than he has his entire UFC career combined.
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