There's Another Tabloid Report Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather Have Agreed to a Boxing Match

Conor McGregor will fight Floyd Mayweather in a boxing match according to  The Irish Sun. Nine months ago the publication’s parent company, The Sun, wrote that the fighters had agreed to the fight. Here’s my examination of The Sun’s “report” back in May.

"The Sun claims that Mayweather and McGregor still have to agree on the purse, but also says Mayweather will earn £100million ($144 million) and McGregor will make  £7million ($10.1 million). (That’s roughly $850 million short of a billion, but I digress.) So all McGregor has to do is agree to this 95/5 split that he already apparently agreed to and the fight is on! The Sun also states that McGregor will have to lose 25 pounds for the fight. Why? Who knows. Mayweather weighed in at 146 for his last fight in September. McGregor is the UFC title holder in the 145-pound division. I guess it’s a reference to McGregor weighing-in at 168lbs when he fought Nate Diaz. It doesn’t matter."

Not much has changed since then. McGregor is still under contract with the UFC. Mayweather made a $15 million “offer” to McGregor during a random spin through the ESPN car wash. Dana White has both said the fight “ain’t happening” (ironically, that is the closest we’ve come to evidence that it will happen) and made a $25 million “offer” to Mayweather. Boxing promoter Bob Arum also called idea of the fight “absolute nonsense.”

Amazingly, the Mayweather – McGregor talk began back in 2015 after McGregor won the UFC’s interim featherweight championship. Mayweather was responding to a question about Mayweather fighting Ronda Rousey(!). Here’s the original quote from The Guardian in August 2015:

"One of the UFC’s intriguing quirks is that, alongside McGregor, such a macho sport’s biggest star is a woman – Ronda Rousey, who has challenged Floyd Mayweather. McGregor lauds Rousey and says: “I’d also jump in and box Mayweather. 100%. What do you think would happen?” If they fought as traditional boxers, Mayweather would outclass McGregor with his sublime technique. “Yeah,” McGregor says, “but in a real fight I would dismantle him in seconds. Ronda would dismantle him in seconds – 100%. When you don’t know how to grapple you don’t stand a chance. For us, it’s like playing with a baby. People who don’t understand the sport cannot understand how vulnerable they are. There are always clinches and Ronda is a judo Olympian. She would throw Floyd on his head in a second. Me? I would knock him out. Cold.” Mayweather might love money but he’s too smart to go down the MMA route. “Why would he take me on?” McGregor agrees. He pauses. “But if you’re talking about a fight that could generate half a billion – it’s this one. There’s never going to be another boxing fight like this. Only a cross-style match between Mayweather and me could generate that kind of interest and revenue. So maybe it could happen. I would certainly be up for it. I am capitalising on every single opportunity. It’s a strong word, one of my favourite words: capitalise. I’m ready to capitalise on everything.” "

Things have certainly changed in the last 18 months, eh? But back to the present. We’re left with another report from The Sun, and more silence from the people who would actually hear about these things.

"A source close to the Straight Blast Gym star told the Irish Sun: “Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather have agreed a deal to fight and have both settled on their respective fees. “The contract hasn’t officially been signed yet because of a third party hold-up but all the details have all been agreed on. “The fight could even be announced within two weeks.”"

Ah, the magical “within weeks.” Everything is set. You know, except for some details involving a third party and signing contracts and anyone actually reporting that real negotiations have been taking place. This reporter remains dubious.