With a venue and date potentially booked for a super fight between UFC lightweight champ Conor McGregor and undefeated boxing legend Floyd Mayweather, hopes are high that this long-anticipated bout will come to fruition. But UFC President Dana White insisted that the deal is “nowhere near being done” and that there’s no time frame for
With a venue and date potentially booked for a super fight between UFC lightweight champ Conor McGregor and undefeated boxing legend Floyd Mayweather, hopes are high that this long-anticipated bout will come to fruition.
But UFC President Dana White insisted that the deal is “nowhere near being done” and that there’s no time frame for when such a mega fight would occur.
White’s dismissal of the news comes just days after a report that a date of June 10 had been reserved at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The UFC President further stated that there is “no target date whatsoever” for a potential fight between Mayweather and McGregor, according to TMZ.
McGregor (21-3) is coming off of a TKO victory over former lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez, making the Irishman the first UFC fighter to hold two belts in separate weight divisions simultaneously.
Meanwhile, Mayweather retired from boxing after defeating Andre Berto to extend his unbeaten streak to 49-0.
So while fight fans are clamouring for a fight between boxing and MMA’s biggest stars, it appears as if the deal has a ways to go before being finalized.
This past weekend, it appeared that there was progress made for the super fight between boxing legend Floyd Mayweather and UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor as Mayweather announced that he was officially out of retirement in order to pursue a boxing match with McGregor. Then, he tossed out a date for fight fans to get
This past weekend, it appeared that there was progress made for the super fight between boxing legend Floyd Mayweather and UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor as Mayweather announced that he was officially out of retirement in order to pursue a boxing match with McGregor. Then, he tossed out a date for fight fans to get excited about, which was June. Now that Mayweather is finally ready to make this fight happen and now we have a realistic date for the fight, MMA fans are ready to jump into how the fight might play out.
This leads to longtime UFC commentator Joe Rogan, who has no issue with expressing his voice and the mass majority of the time, has a very good way of explaining things as well as making valid points. Rogan hosted a Fight Companion podcast on Sunday along with Eddie Bravo, Brendan Schaub, and Bryan Callen to review UFC Fight Night 106, which took place this past weekend. During the podcast, discussed the potential boxing match and how big of an event it would be.
“It’s the biggest fight ever. Because it brings in two worlds. It brings in the UFC world and this one guy who’s unquestionably the biggest star in the UFC – unquestionably, by a long shot – and then you bring in a guy who has been one of the biggest money makers in the history of boxing, the only guy to go 49-0 other than Rocky Marciano. He’s right there, and he’d love to break Rocky Marciano’s record.”
There’s no doubt that this possible fight would indeed bring the two biggest draws in the history of both boxing and MMA, which would make it a fight that not only hardcore boxing fans and MMA fans but also casual fans want to see, which would pop a good PPV buy rate.
“When people want to do things like break someone’s record, and you want to do it so bad that you take on a guy that’s never had a boxing match before, and then that guy starches you [laughter]… I mean, it’s not likely, but if he did it. There’s something about [Conor McGregor]. I’m telling you, there’s something about that dude. He’s got something going on. He’s got a little something extra special but he would need everything to line up.
“Mayweather would have to dismiss him as a threat. He’d have to not train hard enough, he’d have to not seriously consider the possibility that Conor connects on him and knocks him out. And then Conor would have to do some roughhousing. He’d have to hold him in the clinch. He’d have to hold him and hit him. He’d have to try and get off as many shots and bully him around and wear him out. It’s a possibility. He’s a much bigger man. He’s a much bigger man. If you compare the two of them frame-wise, if they ever do do it, and they’re standing right at each other, looking down at each other doing eye-to-eye, you’re gonna go ‘oh, s**t.’ [Conor]’s a big f**k. He can make that 145-pound cut when he’s on death’s door, but Mayweather makes it easy.”
Perhaps Conor McGregor vs. Floyd Mayweather isn’t just a pipe dream. Sources close to Flo Combat claim that the T-Mobile Arena has set a date for “Notorious” vs. “Money.” That date is June 10, 2017. While this does not confirm the match-up is a lock, it is interesting that the T-Mobile Arena would pencil in […]
Perhaps Conor McGregor vs. Floyd Mayweather isn’t just a pipe dream. Sources close to Flo Combat claim that the T-Mobile Arena has set a date for “Notorious” vs. “Money.” That date is June 10, 2017. While this does not confirm the match-up is a lock, it is interesting that the T-Mobile Arena would pencil in […]
Having gone seven rounds between two separate blockbuster for fights with Conor McGregor, Nate Diaz may have some insight on “The Notorious” in a super fight with Floyd Mayweather. While Diaz went 1-1 against the current lightweight champion, the Irish superstar has set his sights on a boxing match with the legendary undefeated Mayweather. “Money” Mayweather
Having gone seven rounds between two separate blockbuster for fights with Conor McGregor, Nate Diaz may have some insight on “The Notorious” in a super fight with Floyd Mayweather.
While Diaz went 1-1 against the current lightweight champion, the Irish superstar has set his sights on a boxing match with the legendary undefeated Mayweather. “Money” Mayweather even appeared on ESPN’s Sportscenter detailing his terms of a potential mega fight between MgGregor and Mayweather.
When recently asked who would win the match-up, Diaz surprisingly gave the Irishman a decent chance at getting the job done against Mayweather.
“I think it’s a big publicity stunt, but my take on a boxing match between the two — I think McGregor’s got a good chance to make something happen in (the first) two or three rounds,” Diaz said on “CSN Fights.” “But I think he’s got an amateur style where he’s only got good movement, good punches for 6, 8 minutes, and I think that’s too amateur for Mayweather. I’m just saying he’s got a puncher’s chance — if anything.”
With a potential Mayweather vs. McGregor mega fight coming to fruition, the last obstacle would be Dana White and the UFC’s blessing.
McGregor (21-3) has already captured the featherweight and lightweight titles while making his way through the UFC. The Irish superstar’s lone defeat inside the Octagon was to Nate Diaz, who submitted the then-featherweight champ with a rear-naked choke in the second round of their UFC 196 headliner.
Do you think the fight will go down? Do you agree with Nate Diaz in his assessment of a potential Mayweather vs. MgGregor showdown?
Retired boxing champion Floyd Mayweather and UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor having been going back-and-forth in the media regarding a potential super fight for over a year now, but the talk between the two sides has seemed to increase over the last few months. In fact, “Money” recently added more fuel to the fire by
Retired boxing champion Floyd Mayweather and UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor having been going back-and-forth in the media regarding a potential super fight for over a year now, but the talk between the two sides has seemed to increase over the last few months.
In fact, “Money” recently added more fuel to the fire by saying that he is ‘officially out of retirement for Conor McGregor’, while urging the Irishman to fight him in June:
“When I faced Arturo Gatti, I went to his turf,” Mayweather said (via FightHype). “He was the A side, I was the B side. I beat him, I didn’t cry, I didn’t complain. When I faced Oscar De La Hoya, he was the A side, I was the B side. I didn’t cry, I didn’t complain, I beat him and I became the A side. For Conor McGregor, I’m coming out of retirement, just to fight Conor McGregor.
“I don’t want to hear no more excuses about the money, about the UFC. Sign the paper with the UFC so you can fight me in June. Simple and plain. Let’s fight in June. You’re the B side, I’m the A side. We’re not here to cry about money. I’m tired of all this crying about money and talking about you want to fight. You blowing smoke up everybody’s ass. If you want to fight, sign the paperwork, let’s do it.
“Today, I’m officially out of retirement for Conor McGregor. We don’t need to waste no time. We need to make this s**t happen quickly. Let’s get it on in June.”
Mayweather hasn’t competed since scoring a decision victory over Andre Berto in September 2015, while McGregor has been out of action since his history-making knockout over Eddie Alvarez last November at UFC 205 in New York City.
While it’s unclear if a boxing match between Mayweather and McGregor will ever truly come to fruition, it does appear as if “Money” is all in regarding the fight.
Retired boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. accused UFC fighter Conor McGregor of ducking a fight against him in the latest war of words in the protracted negotiation between the two fighters as they attempt to iron out the details on a potential superfight.
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Retired boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. accused UFC fighter Conor McGregor of ducking a fight against him in the latest war of words in the protracted negotiation between the two fighters as they attempt to iron out the details on a potential superfight.
“Conor McGregor, stop blowing smoke up people’s ass, you little [expletive],” Mayweather said in an interview with FightHype.com (h/t Damon Martin of Fox Sports). “If you want to fight, let’s make it happen you punk. Conor McGregor you don’t even want to fight you little [expletive], you little punk. Let’s make it happen.”
Mayweather also claimed McGregor was hiding behind the negotiating process to cover up the fact that he doesn’t want to take the fight at all:
There’s always been a lot of talk about Conor McGregor. My thing is this, a lot of times with competitors and athletes and fighters we can ask for certain things that we really don’t want. There’s a lot of barking but there’s no biting. When you talk about biting, sign the contract. Don’t talk the [expletive]. If you really want to fight sign the [expletive] contract and we can make it happen.
So just letting the world know that he’s full of [expletive]. He don’t really want to fight. ‘Oh I want to fight, I want to fight, I want to fight, Mayweather’s scared of me’ — well listen, I’m my own boss, let’s make the fight happen. You talking all that [expletive], you acting like you want to fight, I don’t think you really want to fight. Sign the contract and let’s make it happen.
You can see the full interview below (warning: NSFW language):
Underneath the bluster of Mayweather’s comments, of course, is a negotiating tactic. If Mayweather can make it look as though McGregor is avoiding the fight rather than simply negotiating for terms that best suit the UFC star, perhaps Mayweather can seize the upper hand in negotiations.
Given McGregor’s savvy handle on promotion—and the fact that any fight has to be approved by the UFC because McGregor is under contract with the organization—it seems unlikely the tactic will work, however.
Indeed, the financial split on the fight appears to be a sticking point in negotiations, which Mayweather hinted at in his comments:
Conor McGregor has been telling the world ‘I want to fight Floyd Mayweather.’ If you really want to fight, let’s make the fight happen. You’re the ‘B’ side, I’m the ‘A’ side. At one particular time, I was the ‘B’ side. When they made me an offer, I didn’t cry, I didn’t complain, I took the offer and I went out there and fought and became the ‘A’ side and when I became the ‘A’ side, I demanded what I wanted.
He cannot demand anything because he’s not in the position to demand anything. If we offer you or your team offer you a certain amount of money, I don’t know what it is, take it and let’s make it happen.
It’s unlikely McGregor sees himself as the “B side” of this draw, of course.
Frankly, both fighters can claim equal “A-status” in a potential fight of this magnitude. Mayweather finished his career 49-0 and the highest earner in boxing history. He beat Manny Pacquiao in his last superfight between the two best boxers of a generation, though the fight came a few years after each fighter’s prime.
McGregor, meanwhile, is 21-3 in his professional fighting career and has held UFC’s featherweight and lightweight titles (he vacated the featherweight title in November after never defending it following his victory over Jose Aldo at UFC 194).
McGregor is not only arguably UFC’s best fighter, but he’s also easily its most charismatic. So expecting him to defer to Mayweather’s wishes in a superfight—or expecting the UFC to do so as well—is simply unrealistic.
Retired boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. accused UFC fighter Conor McGregor of ducking a fight against him in the latest war of words in the protracted negotiation between the two fighters as they attempt to iron out the details on a potential superfight.