Conor McGregor, left, and Floyd Mayweather Jr. have both played up rumors of a megafight between the two superstars. (Getty)
UFC superstar Conor McGregor and undefeated boxing legend Floyd Mayweather have continued to fuel the rumors that a megafight between the two could take place.
McGregor, the UFC Featherweight Champion, withdrew from a scheduled UFC 200 rematch against Nate Diaz during a dispute with the company and his future in MMA is unclear. Mayweather said he finished his career with a victory over Andre Berto in September, but it has been rumored he wants to fight again to get his record to 50-0.
The rumors about McGregor vs. Mayweather continue to swirl, but will the fight actually happen?
Here’s what you need to know:
1. McGregor Has Said He Wants a ‘Billion-Dollar Fight’ With Mayweather & Tweeted a Promotional Poster for the Matchup
MMA Vs Boxing.
Conor McGregor tweeted a poster for the fight on Sunday, continuing to build the hype.
He has said he wants a “billion-dollar fight” against Mayweather.
But UFC President Dana White appeared to shut down the rumors last week.
“It’s not true; it’s just a tabloid story,” White told Yahoo Sports. “And as far as I knew, Floyd is retired and he’s been on a worldwide vacation and hasn’t even been thinking of fighting.”
2. Mayweather Says the Fight Is ‘Possible’ & ‘May Not Be a Rumor’
Floyd Mayweather looks on before a press conference at the DC Armory on April 1, 2016 in Washington, DC. (Getty)
Mayweather addressed the rumors in an interview with FightHype.com:
“It may not be a rumor, so keep your fingers crossed,” Mayweather said. “It may be a boxer vs. a MMA fighter.”
He said he would need “$100 million or better” for the fight to happen.
3. Joe Rogan Says the UFC Would Have to be Involved, Because McGregor Is Under Contract
Joe Rogan joined in on the fun on his show Monday morning, saying that it the UFC would have to get involved in the fight, because McGregor is under contract with the promotion. The UFC has notoriously strict contracts, and it would be difficult for McGregor to be freed from his.
He said the UFC might consider it, because of all the money involved.
“You might say, look the amount of money that you can make with the Mayweather fight is off the charts. Off the charts. You’re talking about a three million PPV buy or something crazy,” Rogan said.
You can listen to his full comments above, starting at about the 2 hour mark.
Meanwhile, boxing announcer Max Kellerman told FightHype.com the fight rumors are a “sideshow.”
“Floyd is a marketing genius,” Kellerman said. “And some of it is his ability to zig when everyone thinks he’s going to zag.”
Kellerman said he thinks McGregor and Mayweather are using each others names to promote themselves in the absence of a fight.
“I don’t see that fight happening,” Kellerman said, agreeing with Rogan that Mayweather would “kill” McGregor in a boxing match and Mayweather would be killed in a MMA fight.
4. McGregor Announced His Retirement From UFC, But Then Said He Is Not Actually Retired
Conor McGregor punches Nate Diaz during UFC 196 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on March 5, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Getty)
There has been much speculation about the future of Conor McGregor after he abruptly announced his “retirement” from the UFC on April 19 in a tweet:
I have decided to retire young.
Thanks for the cheese.
Catch ya’s later.
McGregor lost his first UFC fight to Nate Diaz in March, but they were set for a rematch in July at UFC 200. McGregor later said in a lengthy Facebook post that he is not retired from the UFC, but the promotion’s president, Dana White, says the fight against Diaz is still off. It is not clear if, or when, McGregor will appear in the UFC octagon again.
5. Early Fight Odds Put Mayweather as a Heavy Favorite Over McGregor in a Boxing Match
Floyd Mayweather Jr. defeated Andre Berto at MGM Grand Garden Arena. (Getty)
Though the fight is still a rumor, and might not ever happen, you can already place a bet on it. The early fight odds have Floyd Mayweather as a heavy favorite over Conor McGregor.
UFC commentator Joe Rogan agreed that Mayweather would be the favorite.
Rogan said Monday morning that McGregor would “f**k (Mayweather) up” in a MMA fight. But in a boxing match, Rogan said, “I can’t imagine a world where Floyd Mayweather doesn’t f**k him up. … I think Floyd Mayweather is arguably the greatest boxer of all time. … He’s just so much better.”
Former boxing champion Adrian Broner told FightHype.com, “Floyd’ll stop him, first 1 to 2 rounds. It’s just like if Floyd went to the MMA.”
