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Showtime Executive: Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor Targeted For Early Fall

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It was revealed last week that UFC President Dana White had finally come to terms with UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor on an agreement to fight boxing legend Floyd Mayweather. Following McGregor’s side of the deal being finalized, White stated that he would now turn his attention to negotiations with Mayweather’s team in the hopes of setting up the fight, which is being targeted for later this year. After the news had broke, Mayweather came out and stated that he looked forward to signing his end of the deal. However, he insisted that there’s “no rush” in getting the deal done. It appears that Mayweather may be changing his mind.

Executive Vice President of Showtime Sports Stephen Espinoza stated in a recent interview with FightHype (transcript courtesy of MMA Fighting) that they would be willing to wait until next year if they had to. He also noted that both Showtime and Mayweather are targeting an early fall date for the proposed super fight.

“I think the date really is a function of how long it takes to get a deal done because the reality is, it took a long time for the UFC and Conor to reach an agreement to allow Conor to participate. Now the real negotiations start which is the Floyd side versus the Conor-UFC side. If that drags on then you’re probably looking at late this year. If it really drags on then you’re looking at early next year. But if people are as motivated as they seem to be – I know how badly Floyd wants it – if we get this wrapped up pretty quickly we could be seeing it early fall. That’s the goal. That’s what we’ve heard from Floyd. Now it’s just getting into a room and seeing if people will be reasonable on the kind of deal that they’re looking for.”

Espinoza stated in an interview last month that negotiations for the bout were “at a standstill.” This led to speculation that this was due to the UFC not being interested in facilitating the fight for fear of losing their biggest star permanently. With McGregor and White getting their end of the deal done, Espinoza appears to be more confident that the fight will happen. The biggest boxing fight of the last several years, Canelo Alvarez vs. Gennady Golovkin, is booked for September 16th but Espinoza is not worried about the date, which was loosely being targeted for Mayweather-McGregor.

“I’m not sure it matters because we’re dealing with an event that’s massive. The only comparison that people can really make is Mayweather-Pacquiao, and you could have done that any day except Super Bowl sunday and it would’ve been massive. So I don’t think the date will make a difference commercially. . . The Mexican holiday has a been a date that Floyd really elevated, but it’s not a date that Floyd needs to make [the fight] bigger. That fight will make the date not the date making the fight. There are some fights where putting them on those dates makes it bigger and adds to it; this one is gonna be huge no matter what date it’s on so really, it’s a function of what works for Floyd in the business negotiation and his preparation.”

Despite Alvarez vs. Golovkin taking up the date real estate, Espinoza isn’t worried. The belief within the combat sports world is that the fight will do extremely well not only with live attendance but those who want to see the fight on PPV (pay-per-view). Some are even projecting it to draw five million buys on PPV, which is a massive number. Espinoza isn’t confident that the fight will do that well, but he does think that it could surpass Mayweather-Pacquiao, which is the current best selling PPV of all time.

“It’s tough to say that because even before Mayweather-Pacquiao my prediction was 3-3.5 million buys. I said after the fight that I wasn’t sure that we’d ever see some event in my lifetime to surpass it. Just because it was so big, I hesitate but at the same time, I have trouble thinking of a significant group of people who bought Mayweather-Pacquiao who would then say, ‘No, I’m not gonna buy Mayweather-McGregor,’ and since you are drawing from two distinct fan bases, it might give that record a run for the money.”

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Mark Wahlberg Willing To Share UFC Stake With Conor McGregor

Mark Wahlberg is willing to give Conor McGregor a piece of his ownership in the UFC because he believes the Irishman deserves it. This past July the UFC sold for just over $4 billion. A short while later, it was revealed there was a group of more than 20 celebrities involved in the purchase. Among

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Mark Wahlberg is willing to give Conor McGregor a piece of his ownership in the UFC because he believes the Irishman deserves it.

This past July the UFC sold for just over $4 billion. A short while later, it was revealed there was a group of more than 20 celebrities involved in the purchase. Among the group was film star and business man Mark Wahlberg, a longtime fan of the UFC.

Following his historic win at UFC 205, he announced he would not be returning to the cage unless the new owners offered him a piece of the pie. Another words, McGregor is looking to become a partial owner in the company. Wahlberg spoke with TMZ about the idea and says, McGregor deserves it so the UFC has to ‘cut the check’.

“Cut the check man,” Wahlberg said. “You know what and as a matter of fact I’ll give him a piece of mine, because you know what, he is the face of the UFC right now. He deserves that, but also you know, in business, you got to cut the check.”

Wahlberg being willing to part with a piece of his share isn’t for nothing, of course. He thinks there are plenty of avenues for McGregor and himself to make money.

“You know what he is a hustler like me, so there is probably a lot of other opportunities for us to go out there and earn money together,” Wahlberg said. “He is a movie waiting to happen so why not.”

It looks as though McGregor’s demand for a share in the company may be within reason, especially if more of the owners feel the way Mark Wahlberg does.

But ultimately it will come down to WME-IMG’s decision makers, and they’ve appeared focused on cutting down the costs of business by laying off just under 15 percent of the original staff. Overhead is one thing, however, and the UFC’s biggest star is another one altogether.

Maybe one of Hollywood’s biggest stars can help the deal get done.

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UFC 205 Embedded Episode 3

UFC 205 is just days away and the third episode of UFC 205 Embedded was released on the UFC’s YouTube channel. In the episode, featherweight champion Conor McGregor makes time for his fans, including one of New York’s Finest. Welterweight title challenger Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson packs for his trip as opponent and champion Tyron Woodley

The post UFC 205 Embedded Episode 3 appeared first on LowKick MMA.

UFC 205 is just days away and the third episode of UFC 205 Embedded was released on the UFC’s YouTube channel.

In the episode, featherweight champion Conor McGregor makes time for his fans, including one of New York’s Finest. Welterweight title challenger Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson packs for his trip as opponent and champion Tyron Woodley gets out the vote. Lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez heads to Connecticut for a day of media at ESPN. Back in the Big Apple, McGregor checks out his luxury ride and takes it on a high-end shopping trip.

You can watch it here:

As always, stay tuned to Low Kick MMA for the latest coverage of UFC 205.

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Joe Duffy Unhappy With UFC Salary, Looks To Test Free Agency

The post Joe Duffy Unhappy With UFC Salary, Looks To Test Free Agency appeared first on LowKick MMA.

The talk of UFC fighter salaries cropped up again recently in relation to Rory MacDonald. The popular UFC welterweight had fought for the promotion in 13 contests over six years, amassing a record of 9-4 under the UFC banner. After competing in a fight of the night/year against Robbie Lawler at UFC 189, ‘Red King’ would go on to lose a decision against Stephen Thompson. After leaving so much blood on the octagon canvas, MacDonald stated he was not happy with the latest contract offer by the UFC.

On August 26, 2016 the Canadian mixed martial arts prospect would sign a contract with Bellator MMA. The UFC’s biggest rival had acquired another huge name in the sport. This just six months after taking in ex-UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson made it a good year for BMMA. Apparently also bemused by his latest contract offer, ex-middleweight champ Luke Rockhold revealed he’s toying with the idea of modelling for a living.

Joe Duffy

The latest UFC fighter to speak out about issues with his contract offer is Joe Duffy. The Irish lightweight competitor tells the42.ie that he is now ‘definitely looking’ at testing the free agency market. Currently at 16-2 and coming off a 25-second win over Mitch Clarke in July, ‘Irish Joe’ says his contract offer from the UFC makes him feel devalued.

With just one fight remaining on his contract, Duffy was hoping to fight in his native Belfast, Northern Ireland. He says the offer of both the opponent and his contract renewal are simply not on par with his needs. In the midst of all the talks of fighters unions and such, ‘Irish Joe’ is the latest of many who are starting to find their voice.

Irish Joe Says No

“Of course I’d be very disappointed to miss the Belfast card but I just feel that the fight I was offered didn’t make sense. There was no real upside to the fight for me. With it being the last fight on my contract, I feel there’s no benefit for me in taking it.”

“No, I’m not close at all [to signing a new deal]. I have been offered a new contract to sign but I don’t feel like I’m valued. The negotiation seems to be a case of take it or leave it. I’m not asking for a massive increase, just what I believe I’m worth as a professional mixed martial artist. It’s definitely looking like I will be testing free agency, but not by choice.”

“No matter who you’re fighting in the UFC, you’re up against the best in the world. Three of my opponents didn’t get out of the first round. I’ve had one decision loss against a ranked opponent and three first-round finishes, so I’m happy with how I’ve performed in the UFC.”

The Reality

The harsh reality of the modern fight game is not lost on Joe Duffy. He made $20,000 for his fight against Dustin Poirier, currently it was his only loss in the UFC. Duffy’s most notable victory came over current featherweight champion Conor McGregor in a 2010 Cage Warriors contest. The Tristar trained lightweight continued:

“In this game it’s all about the right fights at the right time. I’m still on my first contract so we’re not exactly making enough money to set ourselves up for life, and in this game one injury could end your career in an instant,” explained Duffy, who earned a disclosed $20,000 for his clash with Poirier, while his opponent picked up $84,000.

“I believe there are a lot of guys in the top 10 who I match up well against and obviously my competitive side wants all top 10 guys. But the reality is that I’m not getting paid top 10 salaries and that’s where we’re at right now.”

Another promising prospect could well be on their way to Bellator in the form of Joe Duffy. Who’s next?

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Quote: Conor McGregor & Ronda Rousey Are Puppets On Strings

UFC featherweight champion Conor McGregor and former women’s bantamweight queen Ronda Rousey befell similar fates in the last six months. Although ‘The Notorious’ rose to prominence at the same time ‘Rowdy’ fell off her perch, it wouldn’t be long before Nate Diaz would step in and hand McGregor his first UFC loss. Where the two

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Although McGregor has become entangled in drama with his bosses since his UFC 196 loss to Diaz, it pales in comparison to the crisis of identity that Rousey went through after UFC 193. After being hailed as the most dominant athlete of her time, ‘Rowdy’ suffered one of the most sudden and brutal downfalls in MMA history.

Holly Holm’s monster head kick not only separated Rousey from her consciousness, but it took away the essence of’Rowdy.’ The unbeatable image was shattered and the consequential backlash from fans on the internet led to a very dark stage in her life.

For McGregor it’s been more of a beef with the UFC themselves that’s been highly publicized recently, along with the wild rumours of a potential boxing match against Floyd Mayweather. Either way, without a return date set for either of the UFC’s biggest pay-per-view draws, the similarities are apparent.

There’s a lot to be said of the UFC’s style of promotion, and it’s clear when they want certain fighters to become popular. So what happens when a fighter falls off that so called ‘hype train?’ Perhaps it’s even harder for these types of names to bounce back from a loss.

One former UFC heavyweight who was popular for his heavy handed knockouts believes it’s best to fly under the UFC’s promo radar, and carve the path on your own terms…

Interview on page 2…

continue…

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