The Floyd Mayweather UFC Saga Has Taken A Fresh Twist and Looks to Be Moving One Step Closer…
It’s the story people either love or hate. Floyd Mayweather Jr. is persistently being linked with the UFC. Although the chances appear slim, there remains just that little bit of doubt in everyone’s mind. Afterall this is Floyd Mayweather we are talking about. He does whatever he wants.
Officially, he is of course retired. After fighting Conor McGregor in Las Vegas last August, he earned himself a cool $200 million. The billionaire 41-year-old is now living the high-life in Las Vegas, where he has his strip club, Girl Collection. However, speculation continues to link him to a rematch against McGregor, but this time under UFC rules.
Mayweather totally outclassed the Irishman in the boxing ring. However, most people believe that the same thing would happen in reverse if the American were to step into an octagon. Despite this, Mayweather has openly expressed his own desire to fight in the UFC.
Bored
Of course, the first question people ask when they hear about Mayweather fighting under MMA rules is ‘why would he?’ The answer to this is short and sweet. He’s bored. One of the world’s greatest athletes, with an incredible unbeaten boxing record of 50-0, ‘Money’ remains in incredible shape. He told Showtime Productions:
“Retirement has been great but as everybody knows, I go to retirement, I come back. Is it possible I’ll come back? Yes, but if I do, it has to be in the octagon.I spoke with my team, Al Hayman says no, but I spoke with Showtime and CBS.”
This isn’t the first time that Mayweather has openly spoken about fighting under MMA rules. UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley has claimed that he is training Mayweather in wrestling. Whether or not this is true remains uncertain.
Who to Fight?
The next question is who would he fight? Conor McGregor is the first name to jump into people’s minds, but the Irishman would absolutely destroy Mayweather in an octagon. The pair has been linked to a potential booking under a modified rule system where clinch work would be allowed.
“If we can get together with Dana White and the UFC to make a mega-fight happen, one fight, it could be against Conor McGregor, we don’t know”, Mayweather said. “Or we could do a multi-fight deal. But Showtime and CBS have to be involved if I do a multi-fight MMA deal.”
The showtime reference is a potential obstacle for Mayweather because of UFC President Dana White’s notorious on-going feud with them. However, it is good news that there does seem to be some level of truth in these on-going rumors. A crossover fight would make Mayweather and the UFC massive bucks.
Long Way to Go
There’s no doubt that there is a long way to go before any firm agreement is reached between Mayweather and the UFC. Mayweather will want to be competitive against whoever he fights, and he’ll want to make sure that he’s getting paid his true value.
“I can contradict myself”, said Mayweather. “I can change my mind. I can do whatever I want to do, I’m Floyd Mayweather. I would not box again.”
One thing is certain, as long as Mayweather keeps stimulating his rumors, this story is going to stay fresh. If he ever makes the walk out to a cage, it will be the biggest business that the UFC has ever done. Conor McGregor’s situation with Khabib Nurmagamedov might be first and foremost in the UFC’s mind, but Mayweather is where the big money is at.
