Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Conor McGregor both have expressed interest in throwing down under the right circumstances, but it sounds like the sides are worlds apart when it comes to financial matters.
McGregor previously said he’d want $100 million to fight Mayweather, who supposedly is retired after running his professional boxing record to 49-0. Mayweather doesn’t see that demand as being reasonable, though, and he extended a counteroffer to the UFC champion Wednesday while appearing on ESPN’s “First Take.”
“We tried to make the Conor McGregor fight,” Mayweather said. “They know what my number is. My number is a guaranteed $100 million. That was my number.
“We are willing to give him $15 million and then we can talk about splitting the percentage — the back end — on the pay-per-view. But of course, we’re the ‘A side.’ How can a guy talk about making 20 or 30 million if he has never made 8 or 9 million in a fight?”
They don’t refer to Mayweather as “Money” for nothing. He sure has made a ton of it throughout his boxing career. As such, Mayweather probably isn’t in any rush to put his undefeated record or his health on the line, although he acknowledged Wednesday that a fight with McGregor would make “business sense.”
“You guys keep hearing all these different rumors about different fighters want to face Floyd Mayweather,” he said. “Everybody keeps talking about Conor McGregor. He’s blowing smoke up everybody’s ass. (UFC president) Dana White, the UFC — let’s make it happen. Bring him over to the boxing world, and I’ll show him what it’s like.”
If nothing else, Mayweather’s counteroffer at least keeps the conversation going, right?
Thumbnail photo via Noah K. Murray/USA TODAY Sports Images
