Eternally mythical or not, the subject of a Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Conor McGregor fight was jolted Friday when UFC President Dana White said he’s willing pay each man $25 million plus a cut of pay-per-view proceeds for a match that White indicated would be a boxing, not mixed martial arts, affair.
White, speaking to broadcaster Colin Cowherd on Fox Sports 1, scoffed at Mayweather’s suggestion this week that he’d pay McGregor $15 million for a bout.
“To think that you’re the ‘A’ side … how are you the ‘A’ side?” White said of Mayweather, who retired from boxing following his September 2015 victory over Andre Berto and left him tied with late former heavyweight champion Rocky Marciano at 49-0.
White continued, calling out Mayweather for White said was a defense-minded, unexciting victory over Manny Pacquiao earlier in 2015, which generated a record 4.6 million pay-per-view buys.
“You left such a bad taste in everybody’s mouth that no one wants to see you again. … His last fight did 300,000 pay-per-view buys. Conor did 1.3 million and 1.5 million buys,” White said in reference to McGregor’s 2016 triumph over Eddie Alvarez for the UFC lightweight title, and then over welterweight Nate Diaz.
“If they’re going to box, Floyd looks at this as an easy boxing match for him. Conor McGregor is his money fight. Tell you what, Floyd, here’s a real offer — and I’m the guy who can make the offer — we’ll pay you $25 million and Conor $25 million.”
White said he’d be “disappointed” if the novelty bout between the two flamboyant fighters “didn’t do 2.3 million to 2.5 million (pay-per-view-buys) … the upside is it could do like the Manny Pacquiao fight.”
White said the UFC would promote the fight and include “a stacked card” of MMA bouts as he did in New York in November, with three title fights and several other competitive matchups.
Ireland’s McGregor, who became the first UFC fighter in history to simultaneously wear two weight-class belts when he defeated Alvarez by second-round knockout in a stand-up fight, has obtained a boxing license in California.
Although California State Athletic Commission Executive Officer Andy Foster has said he’d prefer that McGregor show his boxing skill against a qualified contender before taking on someone such as Mayweather, other state commissions are apparently interested in licensing McGregor to box too.
McGregor is awaiting the birth of his first child and is believed to be sidelined until September.
White suggested that Mayweather is burning through money, priming his interest to participate in another big-money fight
“Money and his record mean a lot to him. When you’re chartering planes for your luggage, you’re spending a lot of money. … He’s claiming he’s made offers. He hasn’t made offers to anybody. I just made a real offer. Conor McGregor will fight anybody, anywhere, anytime, and there is a line of guys he’ll fight who’ll do more than 1 million pay-per-view buys,” White said.
“We like making fights that people are interested in. As long as the people who bought the pay-per-view or tickets are excited that night, how do you lose? It’ll be pretty damn exciting. You’re guaranteed to get an exciting night of fights, not Mayweather-Pacquiao.”
