Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor have been talking about fighting each other for the last year. However, between McGregor asking for a monster payday, Mayweather always getting a huge payday and UFC head honcho Dana White saying the fight would probably never happen, most fans knew it was just a pipe dream. However, that pipe dream has come true and the fight will happen this August for a broadcast on Showtime. In even more interesting news, when the actual negotiations started, ESPN reported that the entire deal came off “smoothly.”
The McGregor vs. Mayweather deal
Leonard Ellerbe represented Floyd Mayweather, Dana White of the UFC represented Conor McGregor, and Stephen Esponoza represented Showtime Sports.
The three of those men got together and got serious and the fight was created. It will air on Showtime as a PPV from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Aug. 26. WWE and UFC veteran announcer Mauro Ranallo was hired to call the fight.
The fight will be a 12-round boxing match, which puts Floyd Mayweather as the heavy favorite of the match. Mayweather has the boxing experience, with a record of 49-0, and is used to long fights. In 2015, Mayweather beat Manny Pacquiao in a fight that brought in $600 million-plus revenue. Conor McGregor, while a great UFC fighter, it used to shorter fights with grappling involved. They will fight at the 154-pound weight division.
Surprisingly, after previously saying he didn’t think the fight would ever happen, UFC President Dana White said there were no issues when they finally set down to work out the fight agreement.
Before the deal was struck, Conor McGregor was asking for a Floyd Mayweather sized payday while Floyd made comments about being the real star and pointing out how Conor had never made the money he made.
The reality of the fight
Back in the ‘70s, boxing legend Muhamad Ali fought professional wrestling legend Antonio Inoki in a huge cross-promotional fight.
It was seen as a huge landmark moment but never lived up to the billing. Inoki, a great shoot fighter in his own right, was no match for the boxing prowess of Ali and this fight between Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather seems no different.
There is no doubt that this fight will break records – possibly shatter them – thanks to the popularity and the egos of both fighters.
Floyd Mayweather helped the WWE break pay-per-view records when he showed up at a WrestleMania to fight The Big Show. Conor McGregor is one of the biggest draws in the UFC and will say anything to start a controversy.
However, when the 28-year-old Conor McGregor (21-3) steps into a boxing ring to fight one of the best boxers of all-time in the 40-year-old Floyd Mayweather, most experts say it won’t be a contest. The McGregor-Mayweather odds have Floyd favored to win with -550 odds.
