Back when Ronda Rousey was the UFC’s biggest star, a ridiculous hypothetical question kept popping up.
How would she do in a fight against the most prosperous star in all of combat sports, Floyd Mayweather Jr.?
It was a storyline buoyed by comments made by UFC president Dana White in 2014 back when Rousey was at the pinnacle of the sport.
That conversation ended abruptly, however, when Rousey was KO’d by Holly Holm in November 2015 at UFC 193.
One month later, Conor McGregor rendered Jose Aldo unconscious in 13 seconds at UFC 194 to seize the UFC’s featherweight title and stake his claim as the new leading luminary in MMA.
When that happened the talk of Mayweather vs. Rousey shifted to Mayweather vs. McGregor. The latter hypothetical, regardless of how farfetched it seemed at the time, is now a reality.
So, ahead of Saturday’s event, here’s a brief look back at how Mayweather-McGregor materialized.
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McGregor on Conan
McGregor appeared on Conan in the lead-up to his UFC 189 interim featherweight tile fight against Chad Mendes. Among other things Conan O’Brien asked him how he think he’d do against Mayweather.
“If you’re asking would I like to fight Floyd Mayweather—I mean, who would not like to dance around the ring for $180 million?” McGregor said. “I certainly know he would not want to step into my world…I’ve said it before, I don’t think boxing is the style of fighting that can beat Floyd but saying that there are many, many forms of fighting that can beat him. If we were to get it on, I would most certainly dismantle him, also.”
Mayweather retires after tying Rocky Marciano’s 49-0 record
“Money” kept his perfect professional record intact as he outclassed Andre Berto for 12 rounds on Sept. 12, 2015—just four months after he beat Manny Pacquiao and set the pay-per-view record. Mayweather announced his retirement in the ring following the Berto fight despite looking as fresh as ever.
Mayweather makes first comments about ‘the McGregor guy’
Roughly two weeks after McGregor defeated Aldo is when Mayweather was first quoted talking about McGregor. In an interview with Fight Hype, Mayweather spoke about racism in combat sports and suggested one of the only reasons McGregor and Rousey had become superstars so quickly was the fact they are white.
“I don’t really know the McGregor guy. Never seen him fight,” Mayweather said. “I heard his name actually from one of the runners that works for our company. … He’s a cool little kid, I like him, and he does MMA. He told me about the guy McGregor. They say he talk a lot of trash and people praise him for it, but when I did it, they say I’m cocky and arrogant.”
McGregor rips Mayweather for those comments
“Floyd Mayweather, don’t ever bring race into my success again,” McGregor wrote in a lengthy Facebook post. “I am an Irishman. My people have been oppressed our entire existence. And still very much are. I understand the feeling of prejudice. It is a feeling that is deep in my blood. In my family’s long history of warfare there was a time where just having the name ‘McGregor’ was punishable by death. Do not ever put me in a bracket like this again. If you want we can organize (sic) a fight no problem. I will give you a fair 80/20 split purse in my favour seen as your last fight bombed at every area of revenue. At 27 years of age I now hold the key to this game. The game answers to me now.”
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McGregor loses, retires, then un-retires
Nate Diaz put any talk of McGregor being invincible to rest by submitting him in their short-notice UFC 196 welterweight contest in March 2016. McGregor, who was originally scheduled to fight then-lightweight champ Rafael Dos Anjos, remained humble following his loss to Diaz and his star power continued to grow.
A rematch was scheduled to headline UFC 200, however White removed McGregor from the card after the Irishman failed to participate in certain media obligations to promote the event.
It resulted in him sending this retirement tweet that took the sports world by storm.
Two days later McGregor responded with a fiery statement and declared he was not in fact retired.
Rumours swirl
The Sun U.K posted a report in May 2016 saying the two sides were in negotiations. It was dismissed as gossip although Mayweather did say it might not be a total rumour—he later admitted he was the one to start the rumour.
McGregor continued to hype the budding rivalry by tweeting out a fake fight poster.
McGregor avenges his loss to Diaz
Cooler heads between McGregor and the UFC eventually prevailed and a rematch with Diaz was set for UFC 202. Prior to the event the pair of pugilists were involved in a water bottle-throwing altercation
Both men were fined by the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) for the incident. McGregor beat Diaz by unanimous decision in a Fight of the Year contender to avenge his only UFC loss.
“The double-champ does what the [bleep] he wants!”
On Nov. 12, 2016 McGregor embarrasses Eddie Alvarez at UFC 205, the UFC’s first event at Madison Square Garden, to become the first simultaneous two-weight champion in UFC history.
It wasn’t clear at the time what was next for McGregor. Would he return to featherweight to finally defend his 145-pound title? Would he defend his new 155-pound title? Would there be a trilogy match with Diaz? Would he take a leave of absence to prepare for being a first-time father? Or, would he continue to press for a mega-fight with Mayweather?
Later in the month McGregor is issued a boxing license by the California State Athletic Commission.
Mayweather issues a formal challenge
In early January 2017, during an interview with ESPN’s First Take, Mayweather put his cards on the table.
“You guys keep hearing all these different rumors about different fighters want to face Floyd Mayweather,” the fighter said. “Everybody keeps talking about Conor McGregor. He’s blowing smoke up everybody’s [expletive]. Dana White, the UFC—let’s make it happen. Bring him over to the boxing world, and I’ll show him what it’s like.
“They know what my number is. My number is a guaranteed $100 million. That was my number. We are willing to give him $15 million and then we can talk about splitting the percentage, the back end, on the pay-per-view. But of course, we’re the A side. … Only thing I’m probably interested in is the Conor McGregor fight. I’m a businessman, and it makes business sense.”
McGregor responds by bringing up Mayweather’s domestic violence past
Savvy in combat and savvy on social media, McGregor did a deep dive with a reference to NBA point guard C.J. Watson in a Twitter dig at Mayweather. Watson’s name came up in connection with Mayweather back in 2013 when new details about one of Mayweather’s domestic abuse cases from 2010 emerged. Mayweather allegedly saw a text exchange between his ex-girlfriend at the time, Josie Harris, and Watson which led to a dispute. Mayweather pled guilty to misdemeanor battery and was sentenced to 90 days in county jail and 100 hours of community service.
Dana White makes Mayweather a counter offer
Negotiations needed to go through the UFC since McGregor is under contract with them, which is why White began chiming in.
Mayweather officially ends retirement
“Today, I’m officially out of retirement for Conor McGregor,” Mayweather said during a Q&A while on a tour in the United Kingdom. “We don’t need to waste no time. We need to make this [expletive] happen quickly. … I don’t want to hear no more excuses about the money, about the UFC. Sign the paper with the UFC so you can fight.”
“You’re all gonna eat your words.”
McGregor accompanied his friend and countryman Michael Conlan, a 2012 Olympic bronze medallist, to his professional debut at a Top Rank boxing event in The Theater at Madison Square Garden one week after Mayweather officially ended his retirement.
McGregor stole the show with a ringside rant, which of course happened on St. Patrick’s Day of all days.
(Viewer discretion is advised because McGregor curses)
One step closer
McGregor officially applied for a boxing license in Nevada in mid-May and also came to an agreement with White and the UFC that would allow him to fight Mayweather.
Fantasy becomes reality
World Tour time
In an effort to promote what could realistically turn into the most lucrative one-off sporting events off all time. The four-day, four-city tour took place from July 11-14.
Los Angeles…
Toronto…
Brooklyn…
London…
Smaller gloves approved
The NSAC announced on Aug. 16 the fighters would wear eight-ounce gloves for the fight. The tilt is taking place at 154 pounds and typically 10-ounce gloves would be required for fights at that weight but the NSAC approved the exemption.
No more talking required
The fighters held the official pre-fight press conference this week where they got their final words in before Friday’s weigh-ins and Saturday’s fight.
Enjoy the fight!