Conor McGregor And Floyd Mayweather Reportedly Close To Terms On A Deal For A Fight
A potential boxing superfight appears to be inching closer towards becoming a reality. The Irish Sun is reporting that UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor and undefeated 39-year-old boxing legend Floyd Mayweather have come to terms on a multi-million dollar deal for a fight. The report noted that the agreement has yet to be signed because "of a third party hold-up."
McGregor, 29, arrived in Las Vegas this week to film an anti-bullying video for children as part of his deal with the Nevada State Athletic Commission for a water bottle fight at a press conference with Nate Diaz last summer. McGregor is expected to meet with Mayweather during the trip.
Mayweather spoke with ESPN's Stephen A. Smith at an NBA game in Oklahoma City on Saturday night and said that he was "very, very close" to coming to finalizing a deal for a fight with McGregor.
"It's not finalized," Smith said (h/t to Complex for the transcription). "There are details to be worked out. He did not confirm that a deal had been done as of yet. But as you know, I've known Floyd for years, and he had a smile on his face. He said, 'We're getting there. We're getting very, very close.' He believes he has the potential to make even more money than he made fighting [Manny] Pacquiao. He doesn't need it. He doesn't need it at all. But Floyd is all about business. His whole thing is that it has to be the right deal business-wise. It has to be worth his time."
As for the potential "third party hold-up," UFC President Dana White has publicly stated that the fight can not happen without the UFC's involvement, despite McGregor stating that he could do it without them.
"It is what it is now," White told ESPN last week. "He came out and said, 'I can do this without them.' I guarantee you, he can't do it without us. What I then said was, 'I've always been respectful of Conor, the things he wants to do and everything else. If he wants to go down that road it will be an epic fall.' Everybody knows exactly what that means."
Source: The Irish Sun
Bob Obuhey contributed to this article.