Dana White: I think we'll see McGregor-Mayweather in 2017
It feels like if we don’t hear news about the potential fight between UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor and boxing great Floyd Mayweather, then it means the proposed bout won’t occur.
Everyone can breathe a sigh of relief. In an interview with Yahoo Sports’ Chris Mannix, UFC president Dana White was asked if there was an update on negotiations for the superfight.
“Well, Conor McGregor is having a baby right now,” White told Mannix. “After his girlfriend delivers their baby, we’ll start working on this deal.”
McGregor and his girlfriend Dee Devlin are having a boy and she’s due in May. Even though the baby isn’t due for another month, that doesn’t mean McGregor can’t start getting ready for the proposed showdown. The Irishman’s head coach John Kavanaugh recently told Fox Sports News that McGregor has already started training like the fight will take place.
One of the biggest obstacles for the fight to come to fruition is what McGregor will get paid. A fight of this magnitude should net the biggest mixed martial arts star ever a minimum of $50 million.
“Yeah, I think we’re actually there [financial terms-wise],” White told Yahoo Sports. “I think we are in a good place. I just need to get together with him and finalize some stuff and then it’s onto Mayweather.”
Looking at the fight, Mayweather should win this in a cakewalk. The fight, if it happens, will be a boxing match. McGregor’s never had an amateur or professional boxing match. Mayweather is an Olympic medalist, undefeated in 49 fights and is the best boxer of our generation.
White, though, feels though there are a couple things that could make the fight interesting.
“The thing that makes this fight very intriguing to me is Floyd Mayweather is 40 years old,” White confidently said. “Yes, he’s one of the best of all-time. But, he’s 40. Conor’s 27 [actually 28] and Conor’s a much bigger guy than Floyd Mayweather. Conor McGregor is a southpaw and Floyd Mayweather has had trouble with southpaws. Conor McGregor has knockout power in both hands. Floyd Mayweather does not. If you sit down and talk to Conor McGregor, he’ll make you believe he’s going to win the fight. I’m fascinated to see how this thing plays out.”
If the fight does indeed take place, when would it happen? McGregor said last month the plan would be for the fight to take place in September.
When asked by Mannix if the fight would be happening this year, White felt pretty confident that would happen.
“In 2017, I think you will [see it],” White said.
Seeing is believing. When we actually see Mayweather and McGregor in the boxing ring in front of a sold-out crowd with the world watching, then you can believe the biggest mismatch in the history of combat sports will take place.
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