It’s booked.
Late summer. At the MGM Grand.
According to a Wednesday afternoon report from widely respected Yahoo Sports reporter Kevin Iole, UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor will be boxing unbeaten Floyd Mayweather on Aug. 26 in Las Vegas.
Iole reported that a fight announcement should come later Wednesday from McGregor Promotions and that the venue could change from the MGM Grand to the larger T-Mobile Arena, which is located right across the Las Vegas Strip.
Mayweather is almost universally considered the greatest boxer of his era. He retired in 2015 with a 49-0 record, so it speaks to McGregor’s considerable popularity and drawing power that he has accepted the fight.
McGregor has shot up the ranks in the UFC and is the biggest draw in MMA history. He turned his attention to a boxing match with Mayweather after defeating Eddie Alvarez for the UFC’s 155-pound title last November.
While further details were unavailable as of Wednesday afternoon, it’s expected that each fighter could earn in excess of $100 million US for the match.
daustin@postmedia.com