Dana White: Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor rematch only happens under MMA rules

Floyd Mayweather Jr. seemed to drop a hint he’s got mixed martial arts on his mind last week. The undefeated boxing superstar dropped a short clip showing him stepping into an MMA cage inside a gym.

According to UFC president Dana White, that’s the only way we’ll ever see a rematch between Mayweather and UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor.

Mayweather and McGregor competed in a boxing match in Las Vegas last August, which Mayweather won via 10th-round TKO to improve his record to 50-0. The bout was a blockbuster on pay-per-view, trailing only the 2015 Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao bout in North American buys among all-time events.

There’s been enough banter between Mayweather and McGregor online since the fight to suggest both are angling for a rematch. Such talk has particularly heated up in recent weeks, as McGregor’s camp sends out signals the Irishman’s ready for his combat sports return.

But White, appearing Wednesday on the FS1 show UFC Tonight, said if the rematch is ever going to happen, it’s Mayweather’s time to fight under McGregor’s rules.

“Obviously, he only way making that fight again makes any sense is if he comes over to the Octagon,” White said. “We went over and boxed him, the UFC and Conor McGregor. And now it’s time for him to reciprocate and come fight in the Octagon.”

All this is just conjecture at this point, so White says he’s content to just let events play out.

“Floyd said leading up to the fight with Conor that he would do both,” White said. “So we’ll see what happens.”