It’s actually happening. A superfight between boxing legend Floyd Mayweather Jr. and UFC superstar Conor McGregor is set for Aug. 26 in Las Vegas.
Mayweather Promotions had put in a request to the Nevada State Athletic Commission to put on a boxing event on that date at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. That request was approved Wednesday, as first reported by Kevin Iole of Yahoo! Sports, though UFC president Dana White went on ESPN Wednesday evening and said it would take place at T-Mobile Arena. The BIG3 Championship Finals are currently scheduled to take place that day at the venue.
McGregor confirmed the bout on social media, while simultaneously taking a shot at shot at the fact he is 12 years younger than his opponent. The voluble Irishman sent out a split image of him beside Mayweather’s father, Floyd Mayweather Sr.
Mayweather sent out a short promotional video.
The much-ballyhooed superfight has been speculated about for nearly two years after the two pugilists began taking verbal jabs at one another in interviews and on social media. More serious negotiations began taking place early this year.
Mayweather, 40, retired in 2015 after beating Andre Berto and improving to 49-0 as a professional, tying Rocky Marciano’s remarkable record. A bout with McGregor would afford Mayweather the opportunity to move to 50-0 whilst cashing in one more monster payday.
As it sits now, Mayweather is understandably a massive favourite. McGregor turns 29 in July and he does not have a single professional or amateur boxing match on his record.
McGregor attended the professional debut of his friend and countryman Michael Conlan, a 2012 Olympic bronze medallist and 2015 world champion, at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in mid-March (on St. Patrick’s Day of all days as it were) and he caused a scene ringside when speaking briefly with reporters.
“Watch me take over boxing, trust me on that,” McGregor yelled. “Floyd doesn’t know, no one in this boxing game knows what’s coming. Trust me on that. When I step in there I’m gonna shut the whole goddamn world. Trust me on that. Look me in the eyes, 28 years of age, confident as [expletive], long, rangy, dangerous with every hand. Trust me, I’m gonna stop Floyd. You’re all gonna eat your words. The whole world is gonna eat their words.”
White said the bout will be contested at 154 pounds over 12 rounds and the fighters will wear 10-ounce gloves. Mayweather had previously gone on record in the past saying he would want the fight to take place at either 147 pounds or 150 pounds. McGregor, the UFC’s first and only simultaneous two-weight champion, hasn’t fought since knocking out Eddie Alvarez to win the UFC’s lightweight title (155-pound division) in November. During his UFC career, McGregor has weighed in as low as 145 pounds when he competed at featherweight and as high at 168 pounds for his two welterweight bouts with Nate Diaz.
Joe Biggs was first to report the fighters had signed contracts.
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