Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather Jr. have traded jabs outside the ring. But will they ever actually throw down inside the squared circle?
McGregor sounds up for it. The UFC featherweight champion obviously is known for his mixed martial arts prowess, but he recently told Gareth A. Davies of BT Sport that he’d consider fighting Mayweather under boxing rules if everything fell into place.
“I’m open to discussions, come at me,” McGregor said, per Bleacher Report. “But I hold the key and it’s me who holds the key to the fight game. I am open-minded, I am open to discussion, I love competition, I love fighting. It would be nice to make that fight if the fans were interested and wanted to see it.”
Well, fans most definitely would be interested. McGregor is the most popular MMA fighter on the planet and Mayweather was boxing’s biggest star before hanging up the gloves in September. Not to mention McGregor would be attempting to cross over to a new combat sport while Mayweather would be putting his 49-0 undefeated streak on the line, so there’d be no shortage of storylines.
The buildup would be amazing, as both fighters are masterful promoters who can entertain with the best of them. And the paycheck for each competitor would be substantial, so there’d be plenty of incentive for each to sign off on the superfight.
“I’m all about those numbers, Gareth, so I would definitely do that, no problem,” McGregor said when it was mentioned that a bout with Mayweather would be a “billion dollar fight.”
Unfortunately, the whole thing just doesn’t seem realistic given that McGregor, 27, still is reaching new heights in UFC and Mayweather, 39, is enjoying the retired life with plenty of money to burn.
Thumbnail photo via Gary A. Vasquez/USA TODAY Sports Images
