Floyd Mayweather wants it. Conor McGregor wants it. And now UFC president Dana White is on record saying he thinks a boxing match between the two men will go down.
“I do think it’s gonna happen,” White said Wednesday night on “Conan.” “I think it’s going to be a tough deal, because obviously [there are] a lot of egos involved in this deal and a lot of people, so that always makes it tougher. On the flip side, there’s so much money involved. I just don’t see how it doesn’t happen.”
There are obviously many moving parts. It’s not as simple as just the two men coming to an agreement. McGregor is tied down to a contract with the UFC as his sole combat sports promoter, so the UFC would have to be in on the promotion or the revenue or both.
Mayweather is expecting at least $100 million to come out of retirement, which he said last week he plans on doing just for the McGregor fight. Meanwhile, McGregor is not going to want a low-ball offer, either. Then there’s involvement of a state athletic commission, which would rightly be hesitant to match a 49-0 boxing legend against someone who only has amateur boxing experience like McGregor. Even if McGregor is the UFC lightweight champion and former featherweight titleholder.
But, as White said, there’s a lot of money on the line and that kind of green can make waves. And the UFC boss believes the result of the fight is not as cut and dried as most people think. Size — namely Mayweather’s shortness in stature — could play a difference, he told Conan O’Brien.
“Conor McGregor is huge,” White said. “He’s 27 years old. He’s in the prime of his career. Floyd is 40. Floyd has always had a problem with southpaws. Conor is a southpaw. And Conor hits hard. When he hits people, they go. Floyd’s definitely not knocking him out — that’s for sure. I’m not saying that Conor would win this boxing match, but it sure makes it interesting.”
Even if it’s not, many millions of people will watch on pay per view. If it does happen, Mayweather vs. McGregor is likely to eclipse every PPV in buys with the exception of Mayweather vs. Pacquiao.