UFC President Dana White was positive on the subject of Conor McGregor meeting Floyd Mayweather Jr. on Wednesday’s episode of “Conan”.
The latest development in the will they/won’t they McGregor vs Mayweather Jr. sideshow indicates that the UFC’s president is all for the fight. According to White, the financial rewards for those involved in what will surely be the highest-grossing combat sports event in history will outweigh the headaches involved in what he perceives will be a clash of egos at the negotiations table.
The UFC President told Conan O’Brien on Wednesday’s episode of “Conan” that he is very much in favor of seeing the fight happen:
“I do think it’s going to happen,” said White. “I think it’s going to be a tough deal. There are obviously a lot of egos involved in this deal and a lot of people, so that always makes it tougher. But on the flip side, there’s so much money involved.
“I just don’t see how it doesn’t happen.”
There are many issues to consider before fans can look forward to seeing the potential Conor McGregor vs Floyd Mayweather Jr. bout progressing. Without exhausting all details, factors which could stand in the way of an agreement between UFC chiefs and Mayweather Promotions include the regulatory approval of the bout, finding a boxing body willing to sanction a fight between a 49-0 professional and someone with only limited amateur boxing experience, and (perhaps most importantly) an agreement on financial terms.
White dismissed the opportunity to disclose any further details, and instead focused on why fans of both boxing and MMA should want to see this fight:
“It would be boxing – no kicking, no elbows, and just straight-up boxing in a boxing ring with gloves and the whole deal,” White said. “A lot of things make this fight intriguing, but the reality is this: Anybody who’s ever seen Floyd Mayweather, he’s (small). …
“Conor McGregor is huge. He’s 27 years old. He’s in the prime of his career. Floyd is 40. Floyd always had problems with southpaws. Conor is a southpaw, and Conor hits hard. When Conor hits people, they go (down). Floyd’s definitely not knocking him out – that’s for sure. I’m not saying that Conor would win this boxing match, but it sure makes it interesting. … If this was a mixed martial arts fight, it wouldn’t last 30 seconds. Conor would destroy him.”
