If we’re to believe boxing great Floyd Mayweather, it’s on Conor McGregor to make his long-rumored boxing fight with “Money” happen. Speaking during a recent media tour in the U.K., Mayweather told ESPN that if “The Notorious” really wants the bout, he simply has to sign the contract: “If Conor McGregor really wants this fight
If we’re to believe boxing great Floyd Mayweather, it’s on Conor McGregor to make his long-rumored boxing fight with “Money” happen.
Speaking during a recent media tour in the U.K., Mayweather told ESPN that if “The Notorious” really wants the bout, he simply has to sign the contract:
“If Conor McGregor really wants this fight to happen, stop blowing smoke up everybody’s ass.
“Sign the paper. Sign the paper. You said you were a boss, so just sign the paper and let’s make it happen.”
Those words sound like the most matter-of-fact statement Mayweather has directed at the UFC superstar since their super fight came out of left field last spring. However, the reality of the situation is that it’s not that easy, as Mayweather publicly made an offer including a payday of $15 million for McGregor – a number he expectedly balked at.
While the Irish trash talker has applied for his boxing license in California – he hasn’t gotten one in Nevada, where the fight would take place, due to his ongoing sanctions with with the NSAC following his bottle-throwing press conference at UFC 202.
The UFC arguably needs McGregor more than they ever have during a lackluster beginning to 2017, yet there’s nothing close to “The Notorious” officially returning to the octagon anytime soon, and much of that has to do with his efforts to book the fight with “Money.”
The two sides are assuredly bickering over just that, so the reality of signing the bout is not quite as easy as Mayweather suggests, because he appears to want the Irishman to sign his offer, which most likely isn’t up to the “Notorious” growing standards.
Let’s hope we’re not running into Mayweather vs. Pacquiao 2.
In the past few weeks, the talk of the long-rumored boxing match between UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor and longtime boxing king Floyd Mayweather has gone from merely speculation to a rolling hype train making it appear to be a mere formality to one day take place. It’s far from guaranteed, however, as a recent
In the past few weeks, the talk of the long-rumored boxing match between UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor and longtime boxing king Floyd Mayweather has gone from merely speculation to a rolling hype train making it appear to be a mere formality to one day take place.
It’s far from guaranteed, however, as a recent rumor revealing the two sides had agreed to a deal being shot down by both Mayweather and UFC President Dana White. MCGregor kept the press clippings rolling by posting a video of him training boxing, which was largely lambasted by many such as McGregor’s rival Nate Diaz.
But someone thinks McGregor is doing it on purpose, and that’s Colin Cowherd. The television host revealed on his show Friday (via FOX Sports) his opinion that the Irishman put the video out there on purpose in order to dupe Mayweather into thinking his skills are less than subpar:
“I think McGregor put this video out to show how bad he is. To entice Mayweather to sign the fight papers. Mayweather is seeing this thinking, ‘I have no chance to lose.’ McGregor would never go into the ring and fight like that against Mayweather. Why would you put a video out when you are barely beating a batboy? That kid just delivered a pizza in my neighborhood and McGregor can’t even land a punch on him?”
That may or may not be an interesting stance from Cowherd, who has been known to put his monstrous degree of pomp and circumstance into his UFC propaganda (in addition to being employed by the UFC’s cable network).
Regardless, McGregor has often been dubbed one of the most cerebral combatants in the fight game, seemingly often inside many of his opponents’ minds before they even set foot into the octagon. But he’ll be facing a foe of a much more evolved skillset for the rules system in place if he does finally square off opposite Mayweather.
Could McGregor be lulling “Money’s” team into false overconfidence, or is he truly not up to speed in the sport of kings?
Following yesterday’s report that Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather had reached a staggering agreement on their proposed super fight, which both Mayweather and UFC President Dana White shot down, “The Notorious” hopped on Twitter to call out the boxing great in an effort to get the hype train rolling even more. Now Mayweather is back
Now Mayweather is back with his own response, and it seems to be quite simple. Apparently done with the games, Mayweather told McGregor and his team to finish their business with the UFC and get ahold of his team this morning:
That would seem like the clearest course of action to signing this monumental bout, and Mayweather has laid down a simple gameplan for doing it.
However, as we witnessed with his long-rumored fight with Manny Pacquaio that took so long to negotiate both fighters were out of their prime, reaching a mutually beneficial agreement with ‘Money’ and his management is never an easy thing.
The UFC obviously stands as a huge roadblock in the way of getting the superfight signed, and Mayweather knows it. Is this just another made-up bunch of hype, or will this fight actually happen like it seems to be progressing?
After almost an entire year of hype, ‘The Notorious’ vs. ‘Money’ could actually be extremely close to happening. A report surfaced from UK news outlet The Sun revealing that McGregor and his associates have agreed upon the terms of the deal and now all that remains is to officially sign the contract with a third-party issue
After almost an entire year of hype, ‘The Notorious’ vs. ‘Money’ could actually be extremely close to happening.
A report surfaced from UK news outlet The Sun revealing that McGregor and his associates have agreed upon the terms of the deal and now all that remains is to officially sign the contract with a third-party issue (being the UFC) the last hold-up to making the long-proposed super fight happen.
The dollar amount has apparently been set and agreed upon:
“Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather have agreed a deal to fight and have both settled on their respective fees.
“The contract hasn’t officially been signed yet because of a third party hold-up but all the details have all been agreed on.
“The fight could even be announced within two weeks.”
Adding fuel to what is certainly to become a fire, ESPN’s Brett Okamoto also reported Mayweather had informed his network colleague Stephen A. Smith that the fight was “very, very close” to being signed. Okamoto also confirmed with there were real discussions ongoing with the NSAC:
Breaking: NSAC chairman Marnell confirms there have been "real discussions" with "the real players involved" on McGregor vs. Mayweather.
McGregor recently made headlines by canceling an event in his hometown of Dublin, instead flying to Las Vegas to clear up his business with the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) for his now-infamous UFC 202 bottle-throwing incident with arch rival Nate Diaz and his ‘Skrap Pack.’
He’ll film an anti-bullying video as part of his consequences, and while in Vegas, his team will reportedly continue working towards getting the super fight with Mayweather worked out. Will this onetime far-off possibility become reality in Las Vegas soon?
Hoping to see Conor McGregor back in the UFC soon? Dream on… Since winning his second UFC title last November, Irish star Conor McGregor has started branching out. Arguably the biggest star in MMA history, ‘The Notorious’ has started thumbing pies left and right. After winning the UFC lightweight title, to add to the featherweight
Hoping to see Conor McGregor back in the UFC soon? Dream on…
Since winning his second UFC title last November, Irish star Conor McGregor has started branching out. Arguably the biggest star in MMA history, ‘The Notorious’ has started thumbing pies left and right. After winning the UFC lightweight title, to add to the featherweight strap he’d claimed from Jose Aldo, McGregor announced a break from fighting. Almost right away the talk turned to a long-rumoured, but never credible boxing match against Floyd Mayweather. The modern pugilistic great entertained the idea, claiming he’d only come out of retirement to fight McGregor.
Once the social media war began, media and fans were more than sceptical about this rivalry. Then, out of the blue, UFC president Dana White gave the bout a realistic flavor. Offering both men $25 million to fight, White had given the bout a jolt of authenticity. Although Mayweather belittled the purse bid, McGregor’s acquisition of a boxing license in California. Given the already rampant fascination about boxing vs. MMA, McGregor vs. Mayweather is being talked about a whole lot. If yesterday’s pay-per-view interview with Ariel Helwani is anything to go by, ‘The Notorious’ isn’t coming back to the UFC any time soon:
Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
McGregor’s Bombshell
Discussing his immediate plans during a sit down with Helwani, McGregor said it won’t be a return to the UFC that’s top of his priorities:
“That fight is more than just being explored. That fight has been in the works awhile now. Look, there’s a lot of steps to get through to get the fight going, but it’s the fight to make. It’s the fight the people want. It’s the fight I want. I know I’m confident going in there.
“I’ve got the reach. I’ve got youth. I’ve got the confidence. I’ve got the unpredictable style. You can’t prepare for a style like me. A guy said to me, why conquer one world when you can conquer two? So I’m going to go conquer two worlds. One-hundred percent,” McGregor said. “I believe the next time I step into a combat arena will be through the ropes wearing 10-ounce or eight-ounce gloves. I believe so.”
Mandatory credit: Adam Hunger USA Today Sports
Motivation
Further discussing the point, McGregor believes with the ALi Act, he’ll be able to box Floyd Mayweather without ramifications from the UFC. The Irish striker also says he is motivated by his doubters regarding this pairing:
“The sound of laughter and the sound of doubt motivates me. So I’m enjoying that. I seek that. I don’t feel that going to fight any of these other UFC bums right now. They need to rise up. Right now, they’re down there. I’ve got this situation where people are truly doubting me, like they doubted me at the very, very beginning, and that’s motivating for me. That’s what’s going to drive me to the gym when I need to go to the gym, and to put in that work to get that win. So that’s where we’re at right now.”
“With the Ali Act, I believe I can,” McGregor said. “Especially now that there’s offers on the table. But I think it’s smoother if we’re all involved. I think we’re all about good business. I’ve done great business with the UFC, with Dana (White), with everyone. I think it’s smoother if everyone just gets together and we get it involved. But again, everyone’s got to know their place.”
Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports
Mayweather, Not Ferguson or Khabib
“Everyone’s got to know their place,” McGregor reiterated. “There’s Mayweather Promotions, there’s the UFC, and now the newly formed McGregor Promotions, and we’re all in the mix. So that’s what I’m saying. Nobody is my boss. I know Floyd likes to say Dana (White) is my boss and this and he decides. Hell no. Nobody decides this. If they let people go fight jiu-jitsu tournaments, they can’t stop me going to fight a boxing fight. So obviously it’s smoother to do it all together, but look, everyone’s just got to know their place, and everyone does know their place. Low key, everyone knows their place, so we’ll figure it out.”
“(Mayweather) is the scared side, let’s be honest,” McGregor said. “He’s not trying to have a real fight. He needs rules to protect him. I don’t need rules. So he can say he’s this and he’s that, but in reality, he’s scared sh*tless. He is scared sh*itless. If I decide to just fight him straight-up – look, f*ck the UFC, f*ck MMA, f*ck boxing, f*ck sports fighting. Let’s just say we fight. It’d be the easiest fight ever.”
“I’ll tell you what, for $100 million, I’ll sit for another year,” McGregor said.
“I’m twitching (from inactivity) sometimes, but f*ck it, this is historic. Fighting Khabib what-the-f*ck-his-name-is, Tony Donkey, Jose, even Woodley for the third (title), it’s not this. Sometimes you’ve got to be patient with situations, and I feel this is one of them. Plus, the situation around me, Dee’s about to have a baby, I’m looking forward to that. I’m in a different mindset right now, so I’m happy. Everything seems to just be working perfectly for me, so a little bit of wait is not too bad. I’m okay with it this time, for now.”
In recent weeks, the much-ballyhooed Conor McGregor vs. Floyd Mayweather boxing match-up has gone from a far-off dream to now only being a legitimate possibility with an absolute mountain of roadblocks to surpass for it to actually happen. By now the story has been discussed over and again, with McGregor obtaining his boxing license in
In recent weeks, the much-ballyhooed Conor McGregor vs. Floyd Mayweather boxing match-up has gone from a far-off dream to now only being a legitimate possibility with an absolute mountain of roadblocks to surpass for it to actually happen.
Mayweather scoffed at the offer like everyone expected him to – yet there’s a strong very strong argument to be made that it’s “Money” who needs the UFC more than they need him to lock up one more monstrous payday before he heads off into the sunset with hopefully a 50-0 record in tow. UFC commentator Jon Anik recently appeared on Bruce Buffer’s podcast (via Bloody Elbow), and while he and Buffer are UFC employees who will side with their employer through thick and thin, Anik nonetheless raised an interesting point – even if it was just for discussion.
Take a look and see if you think it has any merit:
“I feel like everybody focused on Dana White saying $25 million. But they really should’ve focused on what else he said, which is the fact that the biggest fight Floyd Mayweather has right now, is Conor McGregor. That’s the fight he needs. There’s really no other fight for Floyd Mayweather right now that going to command 2, if not 3 million pay-per-view buys. So tell me who needs who?
“Certainly Conor could realize the biggest payday of his career, but he can fight Nate Diaz and all these other guys, and make 25, 30, if not 40 million. Floyd needs Conor and the UFC a lot more than they need him right now.”
While it’s tough to lend full legitimacy to Anik’s words due to his alliance, the concept, in a vacuum, may be at least somewhat valid. Case in point, Mayweather’s last fight, a September 2015 decision win over the lesser-known Andre Berto, gained an alarmingly low number of paying viewers after Mayweather largely let the entire world down with his ultra-safe win over Manny Pacquiao in the supposed “boxing fight of the century” in May of that year.
That proved Mayweather may no longer be able to sell a massive pay-per-view (PPV) card on his own without an equally admired foil, and McGregor would most certainly play that part to perfection, even if he hasn’t officially fought in a professional boxing bout. And even though “Money” has a truly legitimate claim to be one of it not the best boxers of all-time, at the end of the day combat sports fans want to see knockouts and he rarely delivers them.
McGregor obviously does that for fans on a consistent basis. His trash talk and over-the-top persona rub just as many fans the wrong way as they do bring admirers to his side, but love or hate him, McGregor comes to finish fights. He also promotes a rivalry like no other MMA fighter has before, making him the most sought-after opponent in the UFC. There are several rivalries out there for him, be it with Nate Diaz, Tyron Woodley, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Jose Aldo, or even the biggest fight out there – a super fight with former welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre.
McGregor is currently on hiatus awaiting the birth of his first child, so there’s no telling which of these rivalries we’ll actually see him take part in, or when they will happen. Yet any one of those would be must-see cards where McGregor would earn in the tens of millions for. With Mayweather offering the potential for less than that, McGregor doesn’t need “Money’s” money right now. Mayweather’s only path to one last huge bout, as ridiculous as it sounds, goes through McGregor whether he likes it or not.
