Floyd Mayweather willing to come out of retirement to fight Conor McGregor
LIVERPOOL (WFLA) —Undefeated boxing champion Floyd Mayweather says he is willing to come out of retirement to fight UFC powerhouse Conor McGregor.
“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 me in June. Simple and plain. Let’s fight in June,” said Mayweather in a video posted to FightHype.com.
The two have reportedly been negotiating the terms of a super-fight for months, trash-talking each other non-stop in the process.
“You’re the B side. I’m the A side. We’re not here to cry about money. I’m tired of all this crying about money and saying you want to fight. You’re blowing smoke up everyone’s ass, if you want to fight, sign the paperwork.”
It’s clear the two fighters must hash out a few details before they make the fight official.
McGregor first challenged the boxing legend to a fight last year. Mayweather claimed he had never heard of the Irish fighter.
And although McGregor has secured a license to box in California, he has never fought a boxing match and is still under a strict UFC contract.
Mayweather has been retired since beating Andre Berto in September 2015.
FLOYD MAYWEATHER SAYS HE'S OUT OF RETIREMENT IN HOPES OF FIGHTING CONOR MCGREGOR
Floyd Mayweather Jr. confirmed he's willing to bring an end to his retirement if a deal can be struck to fight UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor.
On Saturday, MMA Fighting passed along comments the boxing superstar made to FightHype about his status:
For Conor McGregor, I'm coming out of retirement, just to fight Conor McGregor:
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 me in June. Simple and plain. Let's fight in June. You're the B side, I'm the A side. We're not here to cry about money. I'm tired of all this crying about money and talking about you want to fight. You blowing smoke up everybody's ass. If you want to fight, sign the paperwork, let's do it.
Today, I'm officially out of retirement for Conor McGregor. We don't need to waste no time. We need to make this s--t happen quickly. Let's get it on in June.
Here's the complete set of remarks from the 49-0 five-division world champion:
In January, Scott Rafferty of Rolling Stone noted McGregor expressed confidence about hammering out a deal for the cross-sport clash.
"Me and Floyd have got to get together and talk to figure it out, the same way him and Manny [Pacquiao] figured it out," the Irishman said. "Once we come to a set number that I'm happy with and he's happy with, then we go to the customers, then we go to the promoters, the buyers, then we get it done."
McGregor added: "This is happening."
The financial breakdown remains the biggest sticking point in negotiations.
Brian Campbell of ESPN.com previously provided remarks Mayweather made on First Take about demanding a guaranteed nine-figure payday.
"We tried to make the Conor McGregor fight," Mayweather said in January. "They know what my number is. My number is a guaranteed $100 million. That was my number."
Money also stated his camp offered The Notorious $15 million with the opportunity to negotiate how much each fighter would receive from the pay-per-view revenue.
It's hard to imagine a scenario where Mayweather would accept anything close to $25 million after originally demanding $100 million. That said, the uncertain level of interest from mainstream sports fans makes it tough to gauge how much PPV revenue the fight would generate.
All told, Mayweather and McGregor are both outstanding self-promoters. They know the hype helps them both stay in the spotlight, so the public war of words will likely continue. There's still no sign a deal to fight each other is imminent, though.
Floyd Mayweather is 'out of retirement,' calls for June fight with Conor McGregor
The story that will never die reared its ugly head again on Saturday, when Floyd Mayweather announced in England that he is coming out of retirement.
This, of course, is massive news for boxing, given that Mayweather is the greatest boxer of his era and one of the best of all-time. And, being the showman he is, he played it for all it’s worth.
“Everybody get your phone out,” Mayweather says. “Post this to the internet as soon as possible.”
But he’s not coming out to face unified welterweight champion Keith Thurman. Or rising prospect Errol Spence. Or even a super welterweight fight with Canelo Alvarez or Gennady Golovkin.
No, Mayweather has set his sights, yet again, on UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor.
And then he went into a long and tortured explanation of how he, and not McGregor, would be the A-side in the fight. If you’re a boxing fan, it’s familiar talk. He said it all multiple times in the six years that fans were clamoring for him to fight Manny Pacquiao.
“When I faced Arturo Gatti [in 2005 in Atlantic City, N.J.], I went to his turf,” Mayweather said. “He was the A-side. I was the B-side. I beat him. I didn’t cry. I didn’t complain. When I faced Oscar De La Hoya [in Las Vegas in 2007], he was the A-side and I was the B-side. I didn’t cry. I didn’t complain. I beat him and I became the A-side.
“For Conor McGregor, I’m coming out of retirement, just to fight Conor McGregor. 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 me in June. Simple and plain, let’s fight in June. You’re the B-side. I’m the A-side. We’re not here to cry about money. I’m tired of all this crying about money and saying you want to fight. You’re blowing smoke up everyone’s [butt], if you want to fight, sign the paperwork.”
Mayweather went on to describe how he was at home and seeing news reports that McGregor wanted to fight him.
Of course, he threw a little zinger in with it as he told the story.
“I probably had silk pajamas on and they kept saying that, ‘Conor McGregor wants to fight. Conor McGregor wants to fight. Conor McGregor wants to fight,’ ” Mayweather said. “And to be honest, when they kept saying that, I was really like, to be honest, ‘I don’t know who the [expletive] that is.”
Mayweather said two members of his security teams are UFC fans and he had them pull clips of McGregor to fight.
He said he didn’t think McGregor was serious.
“He’s using my name for leverage,” Mayweather said.
That’s true, of course, just as Mayweather, who has been retired since defeating Andre Berto on Sept. 12, 2015, is using McGregor’s name for leverage.
It’s a joke of a fight under any circumstance because they’re different sports. Boxing and MMA are related, just as softball and baseball are related, but it would be unreasonable to expect the best fast-pitch softball hitter in the world to go into Major League Baseball and hit pitchers like Clayton Kershaw and Madison Bumgarner.
McGregor has yet to respond, though he took a little shot at Mayweather with a tweet the other day. He posted a photo of one of Mayweather’s ‘The Money Team,’ vans after it was set on fire in England.
As for how the fight would play out, most neutral observers think it’s a one-sided bout in favor of Mayweather, given that McGregor has never boxed before, amateur or pro.
But the Irishman did get support from an unexpected place, archrival Nate Diaz. Boxer Andre Ward hosted a show on CSN Bay Area called “The Fight Game,” in which he interviewed Diaz and fellow UFC fighter Gilbert Melendez, and Diaz said McGregor had a chance to win early in a bout.
It wasn’t a full-throated endorsement by any means, but he gave McGregor a shot to win, which is more than most have done.
“I think it is a big publicity stunt, but my take on a boxing match between the two is that McGregor, I think he’s got a good chance to make something happen in the first two or three rounds,” Diaz said. “If anything, two or three rounds. But he’s got an amateur style where he’s only got the good movement, good punches for six, eight minutes. I think that’s too amateur for Mayweather. I’m just saying he’s got a puncher’s chance, if anything.”
Melendez laughed and said, “Yeah, a lucky punch.”
“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 me in June. Simple and plain. Let’s fight in June,” said Mayweather in a video posted to FightHype.com.
The two have reportedly been negotiating the terms of a super-fight for months, trash-talking each other non-stop in the process.
“You’re the B side. I’m the A side. We’re not here to cry about money. I’m tired of all this crying about money and saying you want to fight. You’re blowing smoke up everyone’s ass, if you want to fight, sign the paperwork.”
It’s clear the two fighters must hash out a few details before they make the fight official.
McGregor first challenged the boxing legend to a fight last year. Mayweather claimed he had never heard of the Irish fighter.
And although McGregor has secured a license to box in California, he has never fought a boxing match and is still under a strict UFC contract.
Mayweather has been retired since beating Andre Berto in September 2015.
 |
| Retired boxer and boxing promoter Floyd Mayweather Jr. attends a fight between Carl Frampton, of Northern Ireland, and Leo Santa Cruz, Saturday, Jan. 28, 2017, in Las Vegas. Mayweather. says facing UFC star Conor McGregor in a boxing ring "can happen" and is something that would "give the fans what they want to see." In a question-and-answer session Saturday in England, McGregor said he plans to put his UFC career on hold to pursue boxing and a bout with Mayweather, who hasn't fought since 2015. (AP Photo/John Locher) |
FLOYD MAYWEATHER SAYS HE'S OUT OF RETIREMENT IN HOPES OF FIGHTING CONOR MCGREGOR
Floyd Mayweather Jr. confirmed he's willing to bring an end to his retirement if a deal can be struck to fight UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor.
On Saturday, MMA Fighting passed along comments the boxing superstar made to FightHype about his status:
For Conor McGregor, I'm coming out of retirement, just to fight Conor McGregor:
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 me in June. Simple and plain. Let's fight in June. You're the B side, I'm the A side. We're not here to cry about money. I'm tired of all this crying about money and talking about you want to fight. You blowing smoke up everybody's ass. If you want to fight, sign the paperwork, let's do it.
Today, I'm officially out of retirement for Conor McGregor. We don't need to waste no time. We need to make this s--t happen quickly. Let's get it on in June.
Here's the complete set of remarks from the 49-0 five-division world champion:
In January, Scott Rafferty of Rolling Stone noted McGregor expressed confidence about hammering out a deal for the cross-sport clash.
"Me and Floyd have got to get together and talk to figure it out, the same way him and Manny [Pacquiao] figured it out," the Irishman said. "Once we come to a set number that I'm happy with and he's happy with, then we go to the customers, then we go to the promoters, the buyers, then we get it done."
McGregor added: "This is happening."
The financial breakdown remains the biggest sticking point in negotiations.
Brian Campbell of ESPN.com previously provided remarks Mayweather made on First Take about demanding a guaranteed nine-figure payday.
"We tried to make the Conor McGregor fight," Mayweather said in January. "They know what my number is. My number is a guaranteed $100 million. That was my number."
Money also stated his camp offered The Notorious $15 million with the opportunity to negotiate how much each fighter would receive from the pay-per-view revenue.
It's hard to imagine a scenario where Mayweather would accept anything close to $25 million after originally demanding $100 million. That said, the uncertain level of interest from mainstream sports fans makes it tough to gauge how much PPV revenue the fight would generate.
All told, Mayweather and McGregor are both outstanding self-promoters. They know the hype helps them both stay in the spotlight, so the public war of words will likely continue. There's still no sign a deal to fight each other is imminent, though.
Floyd Mayweather is 'out of retirement,' calls for June fight with Conor McGregor
The story that will never die reared its ugly head again on Saturday, when Floyd Mayweather announced in England that he is coming out of retirement.
This, of course, is massive news for boxing, given that Mayweather is the greatest boxer of his era and one of the best of all-time. And, being the showman he is, he played it for all it’s worth.
“Everybody get your phone out,” Mayweather says. “Post this to the internet as soon as possible.”
But he’s not coming out to face unified welterweight champion Keith Thurman. Or rising prospect Errol Spence. Or even a super welterweight fight with Canelo Alvarez or Gennady Golovkin.
No, Mayweather has set his sights, yet again, on UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor.
And then he went into a long and tortured explanation of how he, and not McGregor, would be the A-side in the fight. If you’re a boxing fan, it’s familiar talk. He said it all multiple times in the six years that fans were clamoring for him to fight Manny Pacquiao.
“When I faced Arturo Gatti [in 2005 in Atlantic City, N.J.], I went to his turf,” Mayweather said. “He was the A-side. I was the B-side. I beat him. I didn’t cry. I didn’t complain. When I faced Oscar De La Hoya [in Las Vegas in 2007], he was the A-side and I was the B-side. I didn’t cry. I didn’t complain. I beat him and I became the A-side.
“For Conor McGregor, I’m coming out of retirement, just to fight Conor McGregor. 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 me in June. Simple and plain, let’s fight in June. You’re the B-side. I’m the A-side. We’re not here to cry about money. I’m tired of all this crying about money and saying you want to fight. You’re blowing smoke up everyone’s [butt], if you want to fight, sign the paperwork.”
Mayweather went on to describe how he was at home and seeing news reports that McGregor wanted to fight him.
Of course, he threw a little zinger in with it as he told the story.
“I probably had silk pajamas on and they kept saying that, ‘Conor McGregor wants to fight. Conor McGregor wants to fight. Conor McGregor wants to fight,’ ” Mayweather said. “And to be honest, when they kept saying that, I was really like, to be honest, ‘I don’t know who the [expletive] that is.”
Mayweather said two members of his security teams are UFC fans and he had them pull clips of McGregor to fight.
He said he didn’t think McGregor was serious.
“He’s using my name for leverage,” Mayweather said.
That’s true, of course, just as Mayweather, who has been retired since defeating Andre Berto on Sept. 12, 2015, is using McGregor’s name for leverage.
It’s a joke of a fight under any circumstance because they’re different sports. Boxing and MMA are related, just as softball and baseball are related, but it would be unreasonable to expect the best fast-pitch softball hitter in the world to go into Major League Baseball and hit pitchers like Clayton Kershaw and Madison Bumgarner.
McGregor has yet to respond, though he took a little shot at Mayweather with a tweet the other day. He posted a photo of one of Mayweather’s ‘The Money Team,’ vans after it was set on fire in England.
As for how the fight would play out, most neutral observers think it’s a one-sided bout in favor of Mayweather, given that McGregor has never boxed before, amateur or pro.
But the Irishman did get support from an unexpected place, archrival Nate Diaz. Boxer Andre Ward hosted a show on CSN Bay Area called “The Fight Game,” in which he interviewed Diaz and fellow UFC fighter Gilbert Melendez, and Diaz said McGregor had a chance to win early in a bout.
It wasn’t a full-throated endorsement by any means, but he gave McGregor a shot to win, which is more than most have done.
“I think it is a big publicity stunt, but my take on a boxing match between the two is that McGregor, I think he’s got a good chance to make something happen in the first two or three rounds,” Diaz said. “If anything, two or three rounds. But he’s got an amateur style where he’s only got the good movement, good punches for six, eight minutes. I think that’s too amateur for Mayweather. I’m just saying he’s got a puncher’s chance, if anything.”
Melendez laughed and said, “Yeah, a lucky punch.”
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