All signs continue to point toward Conor McGregor eventually fighting Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Although nothing is official and there’s certainly still a chance the sides never will reach a deal, McGregor’s agent, Audie Attar, gave another reason to believe the much-anticipated boxing match between his client and Mayweather will happen at some point by suggesting Monday on “The MMA Hour” with Ariel Helwani that “it’s all trending in the right direction.”
“I think first and foremost it’s just the fan interest,” Attar said, per MMAFighting.com. “I think Floyd and Conor organically just going back and forth, that kind of picked up the fan interest. Credit to (UFC president) Dana White and the UFC for recognizing a huge opportunity and wanting to be involved. I think that’s really the … I would say evolution of this whole thing.
“I think in today’s age of social media and media picking up on storylines and banter, people can also quantify and measure the viability of something like this from a business standpoint. It’s all happening organically, which is good.”
According to Attar, negotiations with Mayweather’s camp have not taken place, though White acknowledged recently he plans to have those discussions. White also suggested McGregor could rake in about $75 million from the fight, while Mayweather could earn north of $100 million, making this a huge opportunity for everyone, including fight fans anxious to see the two biggest stars in combat sports go toe to toe.
“It’s also a challenge from an athletic standpoint, going against a guy who is 49-0,” Attar said, per ESPN.com, of McGregor, a UFC champion who would be stepping out of the octagon and into the ring to face an undefeated boxing legend. “The fact that this went from banter to serious stakeholders having serious conversations … that’s the main reason. When you look at the numbers — if it surpasses Floyd-Manny (Pacquiao), it’s good business for anybody.”
There still are hurdles to clear, as McGregor is under contract with UFC and Mayweather likely will have huge financial demands. But McGregor’s camp — especially the man himself — sounds motivated to make the fight happen, which bodes well for the chances of this dream bout — once considered a long shot — becoming a reality.
“Well, I would tell you, don’t always believe everything that you read. Everything that’s great in life and business is always going to have some challenges and complications,” Attar told Helwani, per MMAFighting.com. “But nevertheless if you work and keep your head down, and don’t bitch and moan about how tough something is, you don’t really focus on that negative energy. And so I haven’t. Everything has been organic like I said. And nothing’s done yet, so we’ll see how it all plays out.
“If it happens, it would be an amazing thing for all parties involved.”
Good things come to those who wait, right?
Thumbnail photo via Adam Hunger/USA TODAY Sports Images
