The fight between Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather Jr. is such a hot ticket, even President Donald Trump considered attending.
UFC President Dana White told TMZ Tuesday the White House called him about the event and said there was “100 percent” inte…
The fight between Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather Jr. is such a hot ticket, even President Donald Trump considered attending.
UFC President Dana White told TMZ Tuesday the White House called him about the event and said there was “100 percent” interest from Trump about attending. However, he doesn’t think the president will be in Las Vegas on Aug. 26.
“He feels like he’ll ruin events,” White said. “Secret Service is going to have to go through the place, shut down streets and create crazy traffic.”
White has long been a vocal supporter of Trump and even spoke at the Republican National Convention when the then-candidate first accepted his nomination. Even with limited tickets available, the president obviously has enough pull to get himself good seats if he wanted.
The promoter did also note that New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady could get all the tickets he wants if he chooses to come to the match.
According to Greg Beacham of the Associated Press, tickets for the bout will range from $500 to $10,000. Darren Rovell of ESPN added that the cheapest you can find a lower-level ticket is $5,000, although you can expect it to be a lot more on the second-hand market.
Trump will instead likely be among the many people purchasing the pay-per-view for $99.95.
Leonard Ellerbe, the CEO of Mayweather Promotions, said tickets will range from $500 to $10,000 for Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s return to the boxing ring against Conor McGregor.
Greg Beachem of the Associated Press reported the news from Tuesday’s Mayweathe…
Leonard Ellerbe, the CEO of Mayweather Promotions, said tickets will range from $500 to $10,000 for Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s return to the boxing ring against Conor McGregor.
Greg Beachem of the Associated Press reported the news from Tuesday’s Mayweather-McGregor press conference. The two will fight Aug. 26 in Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena.
ESPN’s Darren Rovell reported the $500 tickets will be “very limited.”
Mayweather, 40, will be making his return to the ring after nearly a two-year retirement. He last defeated Andre Berto via a unanimous-decision victory in September 2015. Heavily favored against the boxing-inexperienced McGregor, Mayweather would move to 50-0 with a victory.
“I’m the A-side,” Mayweather said Tuesday at the presser. “That’s why this b—h had to come to the boxing ring.”
“He looks good for a seven-figure fighter; he looks good for an eight-figure fighter, but motherf–ker, I’m a nine-figure fighter,” Mayweather added.
Mayweather made a record $220 million for his May 2015 win over Manny Pacquiao, including $100 million guaranteed. The “Money Team” leader brought out another $100 million check during the press conference, which McGregor said was for his “tax man.” Mayweather owes $22.2 million in taxes from 2015, per ESPN.com.
Forbes estimates McGregor’s net worth as $34 million, a number that may wind up double.
If the outcome of the Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor megafight is as surprising as the outcome of the first press conference, it might be time to put every dollar you have down on McGregor.
The reason?
Mayweather cleaned up at the first major even…
If the outcome of the Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor megafight is as surprising as the outcome of the first press conference, it might be time to put every dollar you have down on McGregor.
The reason?
Mayweather cleaned up at the first major event that brought the two combat sports icons together, and no one in their right mind saw that coming.
Kicking off a series of four events set to take place this week in Los Angeles, Toronto, New York and London, Mayweather stalked the Staples Center stage and spit venom at his future foe.
He talked of money and fame. He talked of greatness. He talked of his motivation despite his advanced age.
He paced and shadowboxed, clad in TMT attire and hellbent on reminding people that he’s among the best to ever perform in a boxing ring and among the best to ever turn himself into a one-man business—in the combat sports space or elsewhere.
In the crowning moment of the presser for either man, Mayweather lit into McGregor for his earning power, a point of pride for the Irishman in the comparatively small pond of MMA. Mayweather mocked the UFC lightweight champion for taking home a mere $3 million in his last appearance.
Never modest, Mayweather reiterated his worth as a “nine-figure” athlete before moving on.
It was all in stark contrast to his persona in the latter stages of his career, one that has been less focused on promotion by mouthing off and more about flaunting his wealth and letting his name and brand do the selling.
Throughout it all, McGregor was more or less lost.
He started out by hitting his production mark too early, left to wave from a still shadowy stage and then dance awkwardly to both his own music and Mayweather’s while he waited for others to join him.
He gave a clumsy, oddly underprepared speech that rambled circularly and didn’t hit home at any point, be it when he attempted jabs at Mayweather, spoke of his newly minted McGregor Sports and Entertainment banner or acknowledged his infant son watching from home.
He snapped at Mayweather a few times as Mayweather delivered verbal blow after verbal blow from the pulpit, but it was largely for naught. His microphone even cut out at one point for good measure, a piece of symbolism that was surely too on-the-nose for anyone supporting him.
By the final faceoff, there was plenty of jaw-jacking going on as a throng of photographers, videographers and hangers-on crowded around. Dana White took his familiar spot between the athletes to ensure nothing happened—a dubious choice, given his track record of failing to prevent McGregor from causing press conference chaos in the past—but it felt like the battle was long over by then.
And it was all Mayweather.
Nobody rightfully expected that.
It leaves one to suspect that, for all the elements of this sporting carnival that may appear predictable leading up to their August 26 performance, perhaps there are some tricks still left to be seen.
The next leg takes place Wednesday, July 12, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Expect McGregor to be sharper and wittier now that he’s had a taste of what to expect from a boxing presser. Knowing he lost Tuesday’s war of words may fuel him to dig into Mayweather with more aplomb.
Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor finally threw punches ahead of their Aug. 26 megafight in Las Vegas.
Well, at least verbal ones.
Mayweather and McGregor put on a show Tuesday in Los Angeles at their press conference to discuss the former’s return t…
Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor finally threw punches ahead of their Aug. 26 megafight in Las Vegas.
Well, at least verbal ones.
Mayweather and McGregor put on a show Tuesday in Los Angeles at their press conference to discuss the former’s return to a boxing ring and the latter’s debut. For his part, McGregor seems fully confident he can end Mayweather’s undefeated boxing run.
“He’s f–ked,” McGregor said during the live broadcast, which was streamed live on YouTube and a number of other platforms.
McGregor, 28, is the reigning UFC lightweight champion and is the only mixed martial artist in history to hold two UFC championships concurrently. While this is a boxing match, McGregor made it clear he sees his discipline as more difficult than Mayweather’s.
“I don’t fear him, I don’t fear his limited set,” McGregor said. “This isn’t a true fight. If this was a true fight, it wouldn’t take one round.”
McGregor also guaranteed he would knock Mayweather out within four rounds and seemingly poked fun at his opponent’s recent tax troubles.
“He’s in a f–king track suit, he can’t even afford a suit anymore,” McGregor said.
Mayweather, 40, will be fighting for the first time since defeating Andre Berto by unanimous decision in September 2015. He’ll be looking to go 50-0 as a boxer and made it abundantly clear to McGregor that he’s the star of the show.
“I’m the A-side,” Mayweather said. “That’s why this b—h had to come to the boxing ring.”
“He looks good for a seven-figure fighter; he looks good for an eight-figure fighter, but motherf–ker, I’m a nine-figure fighter,” Mayweather added.
The highest-grossing boxer in history then brought out a nine-figure check, presumably from his bout against Manny Pacquiao. That led to perhaps the best barb of the presser, with McGregor telling Mayweather it was “for the tax man.”
The crowd, which was an estimated 20,000 people deep, was decidedly pro-McGregor throughout the short press conference. The fight itself will likely be an uphill battle for the MMA pound-for-pound king, as he enters as a significant underdog.
In terms of building anticipation for the fight, this event more than hit the mark. We’ll have to see whether they can actually deliver in the ring.
Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Conor McGregor reached an agreement with the BIG3 basketball league for use of the T-Mobile Arena in the Las Vegas suburb of Paradise, Nevada, for their Aug. 26 fight.
On Tuesday, TMZ Sports received confirmation of the deal fr…
Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Conor McGregor reached an agreement with the BIG3 basketball league for use of the T-Mobile Arena in the Las Vegas suburb of Paradise, Nevada, for their Aug. 26 fight.
On Tuesday, TMZ Sports received confirmation of the deal from BIG3 co-founders Ice Cube and Jeff Kwatinetz, who said they received a “generous offer” to give up the venue. The league will instead host its championship game at MGM Grand Garden Arena.
The financial coup for the new basketball organization, which features former NBA stars such as Allen Iverson and Chauncey Billups, comes after the undefeated boxer and the UFC sensation announced their cross-sport encounter without an arena deal in place.
“We are grateful to MGM Resorts, Mayweather Promotions and UFC for presenting us with a generous offer that we could not refuse, ensuring that our fans will have the best experience possible at our BIG3 Championship Finals at the MGM Grand Garden Arena,” Ice Cube and Kwatinetz said.
UFC President Dana White said he appreciated “their willingness to work together on bringing the Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor fight to T-Mobile Arena,” per TMZ Sports.
Brian Mahoneyof the Associated Press noted the arena deal comes just as Mayweather and McGregor, two of the best self-promoting athletes in the sports world, get ready to embark on a four-city promotional tour this week.
Mayweather, a five-division world champion who owns an unblemished 49-0 career record, is unsurprisingly a heavy favorite. He’s listed with minus-675 odds (4-27), while his MMA counterpart checks in as a plus-500 (50-1) underdog, according toOddsShark.
It’s the American boxer’s first fight since a September 2015 win over Andre Berto, which was followed by a brief retirement. McGregor’s last UFC bout came last November, which ended in a knockout of Eddie Alvarez for the lightweight championship.
Floyd Mayweather Jr. has responded to a report he is waiting to receive his payment from his upcoming mega fight against UFC superstar Conor McGregor to pay off a 2015 tax liability.
ESPN’s Darren Rovell reported on Monday that Mayweather had req…
Floyd Mayweather Jr. has responded to a report he is waiting to receive his payment from his upcoming mega fight against UFC superstar ConorMcGregor to pay off a 2015 tax liability.
ESPN’s Darren Rovell reported on Monday that Mayweather had requested a reprieve from the Internal Revenue System (IRS) until after the McGregor fight, but he took to Instagram on Tuesday to clarify things:
Per Rovell, Mayweather made $220 million from his win over Manny Pacquiao alone in 2015.
Rovell also detailed precisely what Mayweather has been charged to pay: “Mayweather’s 2015 taxes are currently 15 months past due, which would equal a 7.5 percent charge on top of what is owed.”
The must-watch matchup of the decade looks likely to earn both fighters an astronomical pay cheque, too, particularly after Fox Sports UFC confirmed the pay-per-view price would match that of Mayweather-Pacquiao:
Rovell also cited a press release from legal website Law360 that included a petition from Mayweather’s representatives requesting he be granted a reprieve from the alleged outstanding tax until after his August 26 bout:
“Although the taxpayer has substantial assets, those assets are restricted and primarily illiquid. The taxpayer has a significant liquidity event scheduled in about 60 days from which he intends to pay the balance of the 2015 tax liability due and outstanding.”
It hasn’t been specified how much Mayweather is said to owe the IRS in unpaid taxes, but while personal matters might muddy the waters, his focus will surely be entirely on what’s to come in the ring.
The fight between Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather Jr. is such a hot ticket, even President Donald Trump considered attending.