Tag: Mayweather vs. McGregor Megafight

Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor Opening Odds for Aug. 26 Fight Revealed

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. …

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.


Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Twitter Reacts to Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor Fight Announcement

After months of anticipation, a fight between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Conor McGregor is finally happening.       
The bout will take place Aug. 26 in Las Vegas, according to Kevin Iole of Yahoo Sports.
Mayweather confirmed the news…

After months of anticipation, a fight between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Conor McGregor is finally happening.       

The bout will take place Aug. 26 in Las Vegas, according to Kevin Iole of Yahoo Sports.

Mayweather confirmed the news on Instagram on Wednesday:

 

McGregor announced the fight on his Instagram account as well, although he added a jab with a picture of Floyd Mayweather Sr. instead:

While details about the pay-per-view are still to come, Darren Rovell of ESPN noted how much fans would be willing to pay for such a match:

Ariel Helwani of MMA Fighting noted the importance of the date itself:

Predictions for the fight have started pouring in, with the debate likely to only grow as we get closer to the actual date:

Justin Hartling of OddsShark broke it down from a betting perspective:

Even those not expecting a good battle will probably tune in:

Of course, many were excited about the lead-up to the fight alone:

While Nate Diaz poked fun at his familiar nemesis in McGregor:

McGregor has only competed in UFC professionally, and while a lot of his talent comes from his punching ability, the transition to boxing will be a tough one. Taking on one of the best ever to compete in the sport only makes it more difficult, as Mayweather comes in with a 49-0 career record.

In any case, it’s been an impressive journey for the Irish star, as noted by Michael Stets of MMA on SiriusXM:

The fight will be difficult to predict, but at the least, it should be entertaining.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Conor McGregor Pokes Fun at Floyd Mayweather with Instagram Announcement

UFC star Conor McGregor trolled Floyd Mayweather Jr. on Instagram as their proposed Aug. 26 superfight inches closer.      
With the caption, “THE FIGHT IS ON,” McGregor posted a photo of himself alongside Floyd Mayweather Sr. on Wednesd…

UFC star Conor McGregor trolled Floyd Mayweather Jr. on Instagram as their proposed Aug. 26 superfight inches closer.      

With the caption, “THE FIGHT IS ON,” McGregor posted a photo of himself alongside Floyd Mayweather Sr. on Wednesday:

Yahoo Sports’ Kevin Iole reported Wednesday that McGregor and Mayweather have agreed to terms on a fight at either MGM Grand Garden or T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. ESPN.com’s Brett Okamoto followed up to report the announcement “is imminent.”

McGregor’s post was seemingly one-half of the equation, and Mayweather followed suit on Instagram:

According to Iole, the event will be strictly a boxing card. Even though he’s 12 years older, Mayweather will be at a decided advantage in his element.

Regardless of whether this bout becomes an instant classic, the pre-fight hype alone will be epic. These are two of the best trash-talkers in their respective sports, and they will likely go into overdrive in order to attract fans who may be on the fence.

ESPN.com’s Darren Rovell noted there are 73 days until Aug. 26, which leaves a lot of time for McGregor and Mayweather to exchange verbal jabs before opposing one another in the ring.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor Aug. 26 Fight Official

Boxing legend Floyd Mayweather Jr. and MMA superstar Conor McGregor announced they would be fighting on Aug. 26 in what promises to be one of the most intriguing matchups in fight history.
Kevin Iole of Yahoo Sports first reported the fight had been ag…

Boxing legend Floyd Mayweather Jr. and MMA superstar Conor McGregor announced they would be fighting on Aug. 26 in what promises to be one of the most intriguing matchups in fight history.

Kevin Iole of Yahoo Sports first reported the fight had been agreed to by both Mayweather and McGregor. Mayweather then confirmed on Instagram.

Dana White said on Instagram that the fight will be at 154 pounds and take place at T-Mobile Arena, per MMAFighting.com.

Mayweather, 40, retired from boxing in Sept. 2015 after defeating Andre Berto and moving to 49-0 in his professional fighting career. But he continued to hint at a possible return to the ring and told FightHype.com in May 2016 that he was considering a bout against an MMA fighter.

That fighter ultimately ended up being McGregor, 28, the UFC lightweight champion. McGregor is 21-3 in his professional fighting career (9-1 in the UFC) and has ascended to superstardom in the sport.

The two fighters engaged in a long, often-public negotiation over the ensuing months. McGregor’s contract with the UFC and Mayweather’s lofty expectations for his payout made putting together this superfight particularly complicated.  

Now, however, McGregor will face Mayweather in what could be the most lucrative fight for both superstars in their respective careers.

That doesn’t mean it will actually be a great fight. It’s possible it will be a lopsided boxing match in favor of Mayweather—who is considered to be one of the greatest boxers of all time—though comedian and MMA analyst Joe Rogan said in May 2016 that it’s possible McGregor could make things interesting, as he revealed on his podcast (via Jed Meshew of MMA Fighting):

“One of the things we know about Conor is he has a ridiculous belief in himself and he has unbelievable power. One of the things we know about Floyd is he’s [40]. So when a guy turns [40], you never know. For every guy like Bernard Hopkins, there’s a bunch of guys where the wheels just fall off and all of a sudden they can’t take a punch anymore and they can’t fight anymore, they don’t move good anymore. But I can’t imagine a world where he’s not light years past Conor with boxing skill.”

That last line seems the most prescient. Mayweather showed little sign of decline later in his career, and his tactical, defensive style of fighting likely aided his longevity in the fighting game. It’s unlikely Mayweather would ever engage in the sort of brawl McGregor would need to defeat Money.

But in the ring, anything is possible, and McGregor is no slouch. Still, much like he would have a dramatic advantage in an MMA fight against Mayweather, it’s hard to imagine Mayweather won’t have a significant advantage in a boxing match.

The world will finally get the definitive answer when Mayweather and McGregor square off on Aug. 26. 

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Floyd Mayweather Approved to Promote August Date for Rumored Conor McGregor Bout

A potential Aug. 26 date for the long-rumored Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Conor McGregor fight at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas is back on the table. 
Nevada Athletic Commission chairman Anthony Marnell announced Wednesday that Mayweather Prom…

A potential Aug. 26 date for the long-rumored Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Conor McGregor fight at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas is back on the table. 

Nevada Athletic Commission chairman Anthony Marnell announced Wednesday that Mayweather Promotions received approval to promote a boxing event Aug. 26, per ESPN’s Brett Okamoto. 

Per Lance Pugmire of the Los Angeles Times, Mayweather Promotions CEO Leonard Ellerbe called the Nevada Athletic Commission on Tuesday night “to get Aug. 26…back on agenda and date approved.”

This comes one day after Bob Bennett, executive director of the Nevada Athletic Commission, said Mayweather’s camp verbally retracted the Aug. 26 date request prior to a commission meeting, per Pugmire.

ESPN’s Dan Rafael reported Tuesday that Mayweather Promotions planned to ask the commission for an Aug. 26 date to promote a boxing match that was expected to be the showdown between Mayweather and McGregor. 

Last month, UFC President Dana White announced McGregor signed his half of the contract for the proposed superfight and that negotiations with Mayweather could begin. 

Mayweather still hasn’t signed his side of the deal that would make the fight official. The 40-year-old undefeated multi-division champion hasn’t fought since beating Andre Berto in September 2015.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Floyd Mayweather Retracts August Fight Date for Potential Conor McGregor Bout

The potential Aug. 26 date for the Floyd Mayweather-Conor McGregor fight could be off the table due to a request by Mayweather Promotions.
Per Lance Pugmire of the Los Angeles Times, Bob Bennett, executive director of the Nevada Athletic Commissio…

The potential Aug. 26 date for the Floyd Mayweather-Conor McGregor fight could be off the table due to a request by Mayweather Promotions.

Per Lance Pugmire of the Los Angeles Times, Bob Bennett, executive director of the Nevada Athletic Commission, said Mayweather’s camp verbally retracted the Aug. 26 date request prior to a commission meeting.

ESPN.com’s Dan Rafael reported late Monday night the plan for Mayweather Promotions was to request Aug. 26 to promote “an unspecified boxing event,” which according to a source was the Mayweather-McGregor fight.

“The source said the date is still the one Mayweather and McGregor plan to have their welterweight fight on, likely at T-Mobile Arena,” Rafael wrote. “Once they have a deal, Mayweather Promotions can ask the commission to add the date request—typically a formality—to a future agenda.”

Pugmire noted Bennett said Mayweather Promotions could again change its mind and request the date to promote a fight before the meeting gets underway, but for now it’s not on the agenda.

Mayweather has yet to agree to terms on a contract for the proposed superfight. McGregor, who is the current UFC lightweight champion, signed his side of the contract in May.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com