Though he's only a mere four days away from ending his 15-month absence from the octagon, MMA fighter Conor McGregor keeps yapping about boxing again. The Notorious One said the possibility is real for another crossover fight, featuring himself against one of two boxing legends — Floyd Mayweather or Manny Pacquiao.
UFC fighter Conor McGregor wants to fight boxing legends Floyd Mayweather or Manny Pacquiao. (AP ... [+]
ASSOCIATED PRESS
First, McGregor, in an exclusive interview with reporter Ariel Helwani, spoke on a rematch with Mayweather, whom he boxed 2 ½ years ago: "I'd like to rematch Floyd. I think we should rematch Floyd. I mean, he's flirting with it, and they want all this. And he can go and pick someone else. It's not gonna be the same. It's not. I've done phenomenal in that bout.”
Second, McGregor spoke on fight with Pacquiao: “But also, I would be open to other boxing bouts. You know, Manny [Pacquiao]. We're actually close to signing Manny. There's been talks about the Manny fight as well.”
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Third, the translation: It’s cash-grab time again, and we’re not judging. When McGregor fought Mayweather in 2017, he grabbed a reported $80-plus million while Mayweather reportedly snagged $275 million. Hey, it was dubbed “The Money Fight.” That night McGregor lost by a technical knockout in the 10th round but boxed well enough for McGregor fans (more like, idolaters) to dream on a rematch with Mayweather or a return to the ring against another boxer. Critics of the spectacle saw a diminished 40-year-old Mayweather plodding like an older fighter before he TKO’d a gassed-out McGregor.
The most recent McGregor-boxing-again scuttlebutt has been fueled by others. UFC president Dana White recently stated he and Mayweather came to a handshake agreement for Mayweather to come out of retirement. What the agreement is, who knows? Mayweather, who’s fought only an exhibition bout since beating McGregor, teased a comeback this past November in an Instagram post with the message, “Coming out of retirement in 2020.” What that entails, again, who knows?
What we do know: Showtime announced that the first McGregor-Mayweather fight was ordered through 4.3 million domestic pay-per-views, and that it brought in revenue exceeding $600 million. The only fight with bigger numbers than those came in 2015 when the long-overdue battle between Mayweather and Pacquiao finally happened. Did you catch that number — $600 million? That’s why McGregor rematching Mayweather or boxing Pacquiao is a possibility, maybe even likely, and enough time has passed for the MMA fighter vs. the boxer to feel novel again (almost).
On Saturday, McGregor will face Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone in his first UFC fight since Oct. 6, 2018, when McGregor was choked out by Khabib Nurmagomedov. It’s rumored McGregor will make $5 million for his fight with Cerrone, which would be a record payday for a UFC fighter. A record paycheck for a UFC fighter is a pittance compared to the dollars McGregor could pocket in bout featuring himself versus Mayweather or Pacquiao or even a less-sexy name like Paulie Malignaggi, a former world boxing champion who has feuded with McGregor for two-plus years. (Long story, Google it.) McGregor said: “I’d like to box Paulie. I want to box again. I will box again. I will get a boxing world title.”
But, before anybody else starts hyping McGregor fighting Mayweather or Pacquiao, McGregor must fight — and beat — Cerrone, because that’s the only way all interested parties will get their dream — another Money Fight.
UFC fighter Conor McGregor wants to fight boxing legends Floyd Mayweather or Manny Pacquiao. (AP ... [+]
ASSOCIATED PRESS
First, McGregor, in an exclusive interview with reporter Ariel Helwani, spoke on a rematch with Mayweather, whom he boxed 2 ½ years ago: "I'd like to rematch Floyd. I think we should rematch Floyd. I mean, he's flirting with it, and they want all this. And he can go and pick someone else. It's not gonna be the same. It's not. I've done phenomenal in that bout.”
Second, McGregor spoke on fight with Pacquiao: “But also, I would be open to other boxing bouts. You know, Manny [Pacquiao]. We're actually close to signing Manny. There's been talks about the Manny fight as well.”
Today In: Business
Third, the translation: It’s cash-grab time again, and we’re not judging. When McGregor fought Mayweather in 2017, he grabbed a reported $80-plus million while Mayweather reportedly snagged $275 million. Hey, it was dubbed “The Money Fight.” That night McGregor lost by a technical knockout in the 10th round but boxed well enough for McGregor fans (more like, idolaters) to dream on a rematch with Mayweather or a return to the ring against another boxer. Critics of the spectacle saw a diminished 40-year-old Mayweather plodding like an older fighter before he TKO’d a gassed-out McGregor.
The most recent McGregor-boxing-again scuttlebutt has been fueled by others. UFC president Dana White recently stated he and Mayweather came to a handshake agreement for Mayweather to come out of retirement. What the agreement is, who knows? Mayweather, who’s fought only an exhibition bout since beating McGregor, teased a comeback this past November in an Instagram post with the message, “Coming out of retirement in 2020.” What that entails, again, who knows?
What we do know: Showtime announced that the first McGregor-Mayweather fight was ordered through 4.3 million domestic pay-per-views, and that it brought in revenue exceeding $600 million. The only fight with bigger numbers than those came in 2015 when the long-overdue battle between Mayweather and Pacquiao finally happened. Did you catch that number — $600 million? That’s why McGregor rematching Mayweather or boxing Pacquiao is a possibility, maybe even likely, and enough time has passed for the MMA fighter vs. the boxer to feel novel again (almost).
On Saturday, McGregor will face Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone in his first UFC fight since Oct. 6, 2018, when McGregor was choked out by Khabib Nurmagomedov. It’s rumored McGregor will make $5 million for his fight with Cerrone, which would be a record payday for a UFC fighter. A record paycheck for a UFC fighter is a pittance compared to the dollars McGregor could pocket in bout featuring himself versus Mayweather or Pacquiao or even a less-sexy name like Paulie Malignaggi, a former world boxing champion who has feuded with McGregor for two-plus years. (Long story, Google it.) McGregor said: “I’d like to box Paulie. I want to box again. I will box again. I will get a boxing world title.”
But, before anybody else starts hyping McGregor fighting Mayweather or Pacquiao, McGregor must fight — and beat — Cerrone, because that’s the only way all interested parties will get their dream — another Money Fight.
