LAS VEGAS, Jan. 11 (UPI) — Undefeated retired boxing champion Floyd Mayweather welcomes a boxing bout with UFC champion Conor McGregor.
Fittingly, it’s cash that’s keeping ‚Money‘ Mayweather from stepping into the ring with McGregor.
Mayweather was a guest on ESPN’s First Take Wednesday. He asked McGregor and the UFC to make the fight happen.
„You guys keep hearing all these different rumors about different fighters want to face Floyd Mayweather,“ Mayweather said on First Take. „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. “
The price tag for Mayweather’s return is set at $100 million guaranteed. McGregor said he wants the same amount for his hands in the duel.
„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.‘ How can a guy talk about making 20 or 30 million if he has never made 8 or 9 million in a fight,“ Mayweather told First Take .
The 28-year-old McGregor got his boxing license in December. The lightweight champion is taking a break from the Octagon due to the birth of his first child. Mayweather hasn’t boxed since beating Andre Berto in 2015.
„Right now, I have Floyd running around the Showtime offices gathering my money,“ McGregor told the Las Vegas Review-Journal in August. „That’s what he’s doing. He’s running around the Showtime offices, begging those executives to come up with the $100 million cash he needs to fight me. As soon as he gets my money, we can fight. “
The most disclosed money McGregor has cashed in for in a UFC fight was the $3 million he got for his UFC 202 win against Nate Diaz. Mayweather made more than $300 million for his 2015 victory against Manny Pacquiao.
Leonard Ellerbe, CEO of Mayweather Promotions, has said that the UFC won’t „entertain the idea of getting their cash cow annihilated,“ according to the Review-Journal .
McGregor jabbed Mayweather Wednesday by taking a shot at his history of domestic violence.
He posted a photo on Twitter of himself in emoji form, standing over Mayweather while holding championship belts. He wrote: „call me C. J. Watson ,“ as the caption.
Mayweather spent two months in prison after punching former girlfriend Josie Harris on Sept. 9, 2010. He has denied the altercation. According to the police report , Mayweather was holding Harris‘ cellphone and yelling at her about text messages from NBA guard C. J. Watson before the altercation. Harris admitted to her relationship with Watson while talking with Mayweather, according to the report.
Mayweather pleaded guilty to a reduced domestic violence charge and no contest to multiple harassment charges in 2011.
