On Aug. 26, the combat sports world will be given the crossover fight that’s been dominating the headlines for the past year: Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor. The boxing bout has captured the imaginations of all manner of sports fans such that the fight is currently being projected to break the pay-per-view record for sales, surpassing Mayweather’s fight with long-time rival Manny Pacquiao which pulled in an estimated 4.4 million buys. And while that portends big money for all parties involved, it also might spell trouble for the UFC.

Many have suggested, based in part on previous statements by McGregor as well as pure speculation, that McGregor will walk away from the fight game after raking in an estimated $100 million for the fight. If he does, that might be disastrous for the UFC who would lose by far their biggest star at a time when they desperately need as many revenue generators as possible. But UFC President Dana White says he isn’t worried about it because he’s “pretty confident” McGregor will return to defend his UFC lightweight title later this year; and it seems he may be right.

Dillon Danis, McGregor’s good friend and training partner, recently spoke to TMZ Sports saying that though McGregor will have plenty of options after August, he believed McGregor won’t be retiring from MMA because the sport is his passion.

“He can do what he wants. He’s the one that they’re all trying to get a fight with, in boxing and in MMA. So he has his options. MMA is his passion so I would think he’d go back to that but he has the option. . . At the end of the day, we’re all competitors. But whatever he wants to do, he has options.”

Danis recently signed a deal with Bellator MMA to start his fight career. Danis is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt and former world champion at the brown belt level. He is considered to be one of the best grapplers in the world for his weight and he’s been a key training partner for McGregor since before his fight with Nate Diaz at UFC 202.

But Danis likely won’t be of much help for this training camp as he has no striking experience (aside from attempting to box Amir Khan on the undercard of the Pay-Per-View) and what McGregor needs is boxing expertise to make up for his massive disadvantage in boxing craft. The skill disparity is such that many are arguing McGregor has no chance in the fight and the oddsmakers aren’t giving him much of one either. But Danis is confident not only in McGregor’s ability to compete with one of the greatest boxers of his generation, but to dominate him.

“I don’t think he’ll hang with him, I think he knocks [Mayweather] out. 100 percent. I believe in him. I think it [will be] a little more dragged out [than the Jose Aldo first-round knockout]. Mayweather’s a little bit better at avoiding the shots so I think maybe under six [rounds].”

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MUST-READ STORIES

Results. Holly Holm’s head kick KO and the rest of the UFC Fight Night 111 results.

RIP. Former UFC fighter Tim Hague has died from a boxing knockout.

Thoughts. Matt Hughes was seriously injured in a train accident.

Prison. Josh Grispi sentenced to 5 and half years in prison for assault.

He won’t. Max Holloway says he has “no idea why” Conor McGregor would return to MMA after Mayweather bout.

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VIDEO STEW

Free UFC.

Free Bellator action.

Berto on MayGregor.

Dom on TMZ.

Tyron on TMZ.

Double dose of TTTHS.

Whittaker doing a pre-fight show, thingy. That’s the technical term.

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LISTEN UP

Fight Society. Kevin Iole discusses Mayweather vs. McGregor.

6th Round. UFC Singapore immediate post-fight reactions.

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SOCIAL MEDIA BOUILLABAISSE

Good way to handle losses.

More savage than the head kicks were.

Conor being Conor.

This is some truly exceptional trolling.

ATT with a lot of trash being talked.

Please no.

Lol.

Gotta work them capoeira kicks.

Refreshing.

Dude’s getting ready.

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FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS

Cris Cyborg (17-1, 1 NC) vs. Megan Anderson (8-2); UFC 214, July 29.

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TODAY IN MMA HISTORY

2004: At UFC 48, Frank Mir technically submitted Tim Sylvia with an armbar to win the UFC heavyweight championship.

2009: Eddie Alvarez became the inaugural Bellator lightweight champion when he submitted Toby Imada at Bellator 12. At the same event, Hector Lombard TKO’d Jared Hess to become the inaugural middleweight champion.

2010: Court McGee submitted Kris McCray to win the eleventh season of The Ultimate Fighter.

2015: Kimbo Slice recorded his last official win, knocking out Ken Shamrock in the main event of Bellator 138. Rest in peace, Kimbo.

Also at this event, Patricio Freire knocked out Daniel Weichel to retain the featherweight title.

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FINAL THOUGHTS

Holly Holm’s head kick was badass. Andre Ward winning a boxing match via repeated nut-punch is stupid. Rigo getting a KO for that instead of getting DQ’d is absurd. That’s your combat sports round up for the the weekend.

We’ve got a big week ahead of us. Bellator’s best card, maybe ever, and a sneaky fun UFC card on Sunday night. Should be a fun week. Take it easy y’all and Conor bless.

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