Conor McGregor’s anticipated boxing match against Floyd Mayweather appears to have been confirmed after the undefeated boxer announced on Instagram that "It's official” on Wednesday night.
McGregor had earlier tweeted that “THE FIGHT IS ON” to hint that a public announcement was imminent, with the Irishman already confirming that he had signed his part of the deal some weeks ago.
It now looks like the American Mayweather has completed that agreement by signing his half of the deal, with the 40-year-old announcing the fight through his Instagram channel.
The fight will be televised on pay-per-view on Showtime and would likely gross tens of millions of dollars. It comes less than a month before Gennady Golovkin and Canelo Alvarez meet in a highly anticipated fight that could rival it for pay-per-view buys.
Mayweather will reportedly be paid over 100 million US dollars for the contest, which will be broadcast on pay-per-view networks across the world.
Given McGregor's non-existent boxing experience and Mayweather's reputation as one of the finest fighters in history, many observers are already predicting a mismatch.
Mayweather v McGregor: In numbers
19 show all Mayweather v McGregor: In numbers
1/19 Mayweather v McGregor: In numbers What are the numbers behind the eagerly-anticipated super-fight between the two men?
2/19 Zero The number of defeats Mayweather has suffered in his 19-year professional career Getty Images
3/19 1 The number of times Mayweather has touched the canvas throughout his professional career. He came back to win the fight via a unanimous decision Getty Images
4/19 2 The number of UFC championship belts McGregor (briefly) held when he defeated Eddie Alvarez at UFC 205 Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
5/19 3 The number of times McGregor has been defeated: losing to Artemji Sitenkov in 2008, Joseph Duffy in 2010 and Nate Diaz in 2016 Getty Images
6/19 12 McGregor’s age when he began boxing at Crumlin Boxing Club under two-time Olympian Phil Sutcliffe Getty Images
7/19 13 The number of seconds it took McGregor to knock out José Aldo at UFC 194, to win the UFC Featherweight Championship Getty Images
8/19 23 The number of fights Mayweather has won by decision Getty Images
9/19 25 In 2016, Mayweather was ranked by ESPN as the greatest boxer, pound for pound, of the last 25 years Getty Images
10/19 40 Mayweather’s age. He is 12 years older than McGregor Getty Images
11/19 46% Mayweather’s average connect rate, according to CompuBox and compiled over his past nine fights. It’s one of the best in the history of the sport Getty Images
12/19 49 The number of wins Mayweather has racked up in his professional career. He requires only one more to surpass Rocky Marciono’s flawless record of 49-0. Getty Images
13/19 84-8 £150,000 Mayweather’s sterling amateur record. He won the national Golden Glove championships at three different weight classes Getty Images
14/19 $150,000 The fine dished out to McGregor for throwing a bottle at Nate Diaz in a press conference ahead of UFC 202. The fine has delayed the announcement of a boxing match against Mayweather Getty Images
15/19 1,650,000 The pay-per-view buy rate for McGregor’s eagerly anticipated rematch against Diaz at UFC 202, making the event the most successful non-boxing PPV event in the history of fightsports Getty Images
16/19 19,500,000 The number of PPV buys Mayweather has garnered in his entire career Getty Images
17/19 $34,000,000 McGregor’s career earnings, as estimated by Forbes at the start of June 2017 Getty Images
18/19 $1,300,000,000 The total revenue Mayweather has generated in his career Getty Images
19/19 14,000,000,000 The number of social media impressions Conor McGregor made in 2016 Getty Images for Wynn Las Vegas
Here, we delve into the legal complexities that surround the fight, as well as identifying the likely venue and purse.
We also analyse Mayweather and McGregor’s respective records, and feature fight predictions from boxing and MMA personalities.
Where will the fight take place?
Mayweather Promotions have reportedly reserved the MGM Grand Garden Arena for the superfight.
The 17,157 capacity venue is well-known for staging some of the biggest fights in boxing history, including the Mike Tyson vs. Evander Holyfield fights as well as Mayweather’s bouts against Oscar De La Hoya and Manny Pacquiao.
The MGM Grand will likely host the contest (Getty)
The venue has also held 40 UFC events, most recently UFC 197 in April 2016, when Jon Jones made his MMA comeback by beating Ovince Saint Preux and flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson defended his belt against Henry Cejudo.
When would the fight take place?
Multiple dates had been suggested, but it appears the fight will take place on August 26.
Mayweather’s promotional company has also booked out the venue for July 29, but that date is most likely being used for the Mikey Garcia-Adrien Broner fight.
Mayweather Promotions have already booked a date (Getty)
September 16 had initially been suggested as the most likely date for the superfight but that slot has now been taken by Canelo Alvarez's middleweight world championship fight against Gennady Golovkin.
The Mayweather v McGregor fight cannot be held within three weeks of the Canelo v Golovkin fight in order to avoid infringing on promotional rights: August 26 is exactly three weeks before September 16.
Have both men agreed to the fight?
McGregor confirmed his side of the deal in a statement released to Themaclife.com.
“The first and most important part of this historic contract has now officially been signed off on. Congratulations to all parties involved. We now await Al Haymon and his boxer's signature in the coming days,” the statement read.
Mayweather has been rather more cagy about his side of the bargain, although UFC president Dana White has repeatedly said that he is optimistic a deal can be reached.
And will both men be allowed to fight?
The Nevada State Athletic Commission confirmed in April that McGregor had submitted an application to them for a license. McGregor previously applied for a license in 2016, but was turned down because he was in the middle of a disciplinary procedure.
A press conference brawl landed McGregor in hot water (Getty)
“He did apply in 2016,” NSAC executive director Bob Bennett confirmed. “But based on the fact that he had pending mitigation he was not issued one.”
However, now that McGregor has paid a fine to the board after landing himself in trouble at a UFC press conference, it is likely he will be granted the relevant license to box Mayweather. “Now that he’s paid his fine and agreed to do the community service that opens the door for him to apply for a license,” Bennett added.
Mayweather must also reapply for a license, having last fought in September 2015.
What are the legal obstacles?
There are a number of legal complexities that must be patiently worked out before the superfight is announced. Earlier this year, Jake Cohen, a lawyer for Mills & Reeve specialising in legal, commercial and regulatory matters in sport, spoke to the Independent about some of the legal issues that stand in the way of any potential fight, and how these might possibly be resolved.
A co-promotion between Mayweather Promotions and the UFC seems the most likely course of action for both parties.
“Should the UFC enter negotiations we could potentially see something that we often see with boxing, which would be a cross-promotion, in this instance between the UFC and Mayweather Promotions (MP),” Cohen told the Independent, who explains that MP – the boxing promotional firm Floyd founded in 2007 – has a precedent for this strategy.
MP and Golden Boy co-promoted nine of Mayweather’s fights after his 2007 victory over Oscar de la Hoya, while his famed 2015 victory over Pacquiao was co-promoted with Top Rank.
“Co-promotion is a common occurrence in boxing and is often the reason for why there is such a long waiting time before these huge fights, because working out the revenue share between these promotions can take some time.”
What does the creation of McGregor Promotions mean?
There was much excitement at the beginning of February when, in an hour-long interview with respected MMA journalist Ariel Helwani, McGregor announced the creation of McGregor Promotions – his own promotional company.
McGregor recently established ' McGregor Promotions' (Getty)
“Everyone’s got to know their place,” McGregor told Helwani. “There’s Mayweather Promotions, there’s the UFC and now there’s the newly formed McGregor Promotions. And we’re all in the mix.”
But despite McGregor’s positioning of his new venture as a third promotional body, Jake Cohen told the Independent that he is sceptical over the influence it will have over any negotiations.
The Irishman is one of the world's most marketable athletes (Getty)
“If McGregor’s contract is similar to other UFC contracts, it is likely that McGregor will have licensed his image rights – which permit the UFC to exploit the athlete’s image, his voice, his signature and even his tattoos for commercial purposes – to the UFC for the purposes of marketing McGregor as a fighter.
“If that is the case, then McGregor Promotions may not be able to exploit those rights beyond traditional individual endorsement and sponsorship deals until the expiration of McGregor’s contract with the UFC. Once his UFC contract expires, McGregor, or more likely McGregor’s image rights company, will be free to license these rights to McGregor Promotions.
“So, establishing McGregor Promotions now could simply be a forward-thinking move to set himself up for the future.”
What would the rules be?
UFC president Dana White has confirmed that, if the fight goes ahead, it will be contested under boxing rules. “It’s going to be straight up boxing,” he said when asked if the fight could be contested under hybrid rules.
White has confirmed that the contest will be a boxing match (Getty)
There have been rumours that kicks below the waist could be allowed, or that the fight will take place in a cage rather than a ring, but there is little to no chance Mayweather would ever agree to such a rule set.
What are their records?
Mayweather boasts one of the finest records in the history of boxing. After 49 professional fights he has 49 victories, including 26 by knockout. In his 19 year professional career, he was only knocked to the canvas once – by Carlos Hernandez in 2001 – in a fight he won by a unanimous decision.
Mayweather, who was ranked by ESPN as the greatest pound for pound boxer of the last 25 years in 2016, needs just one more win to surpass Rocky Marciono’s flawless record of 49-0.
Mayweather is regarded as one of the greatest boxers of all-time (Getty)
McGregor meanwhile boasts a professional record of 21-3 and a UFC record of 9-1. At UFC 194 he knocked out José Aldo in just 13 seconds to become the UFC Featherweight Champion, and at UFC 205 he knocked out Eddie Alvarez for the UFC Lightweight Championship, to become the first fighter in the history of the company to hold titles in two weight divisions simultaneously.
The Irishman has never been knocked out in his career – with his three professional defeats all coming via submission – and began boxing as a 12-year-old at Crumlin Boxing Club under two-time Olympian Phil Sutcliffe.
How much would the fight make?
The fight would almost certainly be the most valuable fight of all-time. The fight is expected to gross almost 5million PPV buys, which would net a cash windfall of $475m. Sponsorship would likely top $20m, while the projected Nevada betting on the fight stands at $30m.
The fight is however unlikely to rival the amount bet on Mayweather v Pacquaio (Getty)
White has estimated that Mayweather will net up to $100m for the fight, with McGregor slated to earn around $75m. “He [Mayweather] feels like he’s the A-side and he should get more of it. But we haven’t really gotten into that negotiation yet,” White explained back in April.
The real reason that McGregor stands to earn substantially less than Mayweather is because McGregor is locked into his contract with the UFC, as Jake Cohen explains in this article. But this would still be the largest purse of McGregor’s career by a substantial distance.
Who could fight on the undercard?
A number of boxing stars have put themselves forward to feature on the undercard. They include arguably the biggest star currently out there – Great Britain’s Anthony Joshua, who defeated Wladimir Klitschko in front of 90,000 fans at Wembley Stadium in April.
Joshua has expressed an interest in fighting on the undercard (Getty)
“Get me on the undercard!,” Joshua told Mayweather on iFL TV when the pair met at a fan event. “Yeah, why not? It's big,” Joshua added when asked if he would fight on the undercard. “That's legendary shit. That fight will go down in history. It will be part of history.”
Mayweather’s protégé, Gervonta Davis, is another to put himself forward and is eager to fight Tevin Farmer on the undercard. Meanwhile, UFC stars Cub Swanson and Jimi Manuwa have both expressed an interest in featuring, with the former calling out British boxing star David Haye.
“Dana White, Eddie Hearn, let's make it happen,” Manuwa said after knocking out Corey Anderson at UFC London. “Why not have a fight with David Haye? We're two of the hardest hitters in London. I think that the fight makes sense. Conor wants to fight Mayweather, why not have me against David Haye on the same card?”
Have any UFC stars switched sports before?
A number of MMA stars have professional boxing records, including Joe Duffy, who is one of just three men to defeat McGregor inside the cage.
Duffy paused his MMA career after losing to Ivan Musardo at Cage Warriors 44 to embark upon a professional boxing career. He won seven straight fights before switching back to MMA, and eventually following McGregor into the UFC.
“More than anything, I’m a person who doesn’t want to have any regrets,” he said when reflecting on his move into boxing. “When I’m old I want to be able to say that I gave it a go. That’s what it was. I got to fight professionally and I got to spar with some of the best fighters in the world.”
Predictions
Mike Tyson: Floyd Mayweather
Tyson has tipped Mayweather (Getty)
“I don't give McGregor a chance. Him boxing Floyd doesn't make it interesting. If he fought with MMA rules and Floyd boxing, now that would have been interesting. Now that would have genuine intrigue and we'd wonder who is going to win but right now it's like this [squashing motion] but with those rules it'd be totally different.”
Tony Bellew: Floyd Mayweather
Bellew has had his say (Getty)
“It's simple: There is only one winner. I'm a huge MMA fan and a massive UFC fan and a big McGregor. I'm also a Mayweather fan. If these two guys were to get in a cage, it would be over within a minute. But these two guys aren't going to get in a cage, they're going to get in a ring and it will be over whenever Mayweather sees fit.
“Don't talk nonsense to me and say 'oh, he could land a punch'. The best fighters of his era have tried to land that punch, never mind the guy from a cage.”
Sugar Ray Leonard: Floyd Mayweather
Leonard thinks Mayweather will win (Getty)
“It will be successful, financially. But it is not a fight which will please the boxing purists. The fact that we boxers deliver punches is so different to what they do. There's more looping and what have you because they also have to be in position to be able to kick and be on balance to deliver that elbow or whatever shot they have.
“It will be interesting. I'm struggling with words. I'm trying to think how best to describe what could and what would happen. Being just boxing, it's Mayweather by a long shot.”
Joe Rogan: Floyd Mayweather
Rogan thinks people have underestimated McGregor (Getty)
“Mayweather is a way better boxer. There’s just no doubt about it. He’s one of the greatest boxers, if not the greatest boxer that has ever lived. And even though he’s smaller, you’re talking about a completely different level of skill, a completely different level of understanding of the subtle nuances of boxing.
“But that said, McGregor, is not incompetent. He’s very dangerous. Mayweather’s a way better boxer, but McGregor is dangerous as f**k and he has a really deceptive ability to move in and move out. He can cover distance very quickly and he can do so in a weird way.”
Jose Aldo: Floyd Mayweather
Unsurprisingly, Aldo hasn't tipped McGregor (Getty)
“Mayweather has the experience of competing for years in the sport of boxing, so I don’t see how McGregor can win. Of course, it's a fight, but it’s hard for us MMA fighters to go to a different world challenging one of the best in the history. I don’t see a result different than a win for Mayweather.”
Nate Diaz: Conor McGregor…?
Diaz hasn't ruled out a shock McGregor victory (Getty)
“I think it is a publicity stunt but McGregor, when it comes to boxing, is good. He's got a good chance to make something happen in two or three rounds. If anything, he has two or three good rounds.
“He's got an amateur style; he's got good movement and good punches for six or eight minutes... He's got a puncher's chance, if anything.”
Odds
Floyd Mayweather to win: 1/16
​Conor McGregor to win: 7/1
Draw: 33/1