Dana White quickly slams brakes on Mayweather-McGregor
The opening bell of a Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather mega-fight has hit its latest road block.
Though reports indicate both McGregor and Mayweather have agreed to terms for what would be the fight of the year, UFC president Dana White stands as a formidable obstacle.
“[McGregor’s] under contract with me,” White told the Telegraph, a British media outlet. “How would I let somebody take this guy that I built and do it without me? That would be the stupidest move in history.”
Mayweather himself disputed that a deal had been made, saying he’s “happily retired.”
McGregor and Mayweather spent the better part of 2016 in a war-of-words, toying with an idea of a fight. And with each passing month, it has moved closer to a reality.
McGregor has won his past two fights, defeating Nate Diaz in a five-round decision in August before capturing the lightweight title with a second-round knockout of Eddie Alvarez in November.
The win made McGregor the first fighter to hold belts at two different weight classes simultaneously in the UFC, having earned the featherweight title with his win over Jose Aldo nearly a year earlier.
His success has made him the UFC’s biggest star in its promotion, securing more than 6 million pay-per-view buys in a 12-month period, which allows him the freedom to dictate his future fights.
In fact, McGregor already has earned a California boxing license and currently is working with the Nevada Sport Commission to receive another one. The hold-up is a bottle-throwing incident between him and Diaz during a press conference in August, for which both fighters were fined, but a solution seems imminent.
“There’s not a lot I wouldn’t let Conor do,” White said. “Conor is a very special individual. He has created a lot of opportunities for himself. The one thing I don’t ever do is hold people back from opportunities.”
There isn’t a bigger opportunity than a crossover fight with one of the best boxers of all time.
The 39-year-old Mayweather is a five-weight boxing world champion and boasts an unblemished 49-0 record — defeating the likes of Manny Pacquiao, Miguel Cotto, Shane Mosley and Oscar De La Hoya.
His fight against Pacquiao in May 2015 was the richest fight in history, grossing more than $700 million. His fight with McGregor, who sports a 22-3-0 record in MMA, could be even bigger.
“That’s the only fight that will get me back in the ring,” Mayweather said while viewing the Carl Frampton-Leo Santa Cruz fight at the MGM Grand Arena last month. “He’s going to do a job on his side, and we are going to do a job on my side.”