10 Reasons Conor McGregor Vs. Floyd Mayweather Is More Likely Than You Think
The biggest fight left for the UFC!
After dominating the sport of boxing over the past few years while the latter slipped from the public consciousness, it's somewhat ironic that MMA, and the UFC in particular, is now looking to one of boxing's last stars for one of its biggest bouts ever. That's right: after a year of back and forth, the fabled boxing match between UFC champion Conor McGregor and boxing's Floyd "Money" Mayweather is closer than ever before.
It's a fight few thought possible. For one, Mayweather retired after going 49-0 in his career. His final fight, against Andre Berto, was largely forgotten, and he's most often remembered for bouts against Oscar De La Hoya and Manny Pacquiao, that latter of which set Pay Per View Records, but left a sour taste in many fan's mouths. Either way, chances of him coming back seemed slim.
On the other side of the fence, champ Conor McGregor, the UFC's biggest star, was under contract, and there was no way the UFC wanted him in a boxing match. Right?
Well, not so fast. It seems a few things have changed, including the UFC coming around to the idea of its biggest star vs. Mayweather.
Why? What changed? Well, here are ten reasons Conor McGregor vs. Floyd Mayweather is more likely than you think!
10. McGregor Is Now A Bigger Draw Than Floyd
Forget MayPac. That fight, billed the "Fight of the Century" (it wasn't; it was a dud), isn't representative of where Floyd Mayweather stands as a box office draw.
Outside of that bout between Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather's last few PPVs didn't exactly sizzle. A pair of fights between Mayweather and Marcos Maidana in 2014 failed to crack the one million buy mark. Mayweather's final bout, against Andre Berto, only brought in roughly 350,000 buys on PPV. That's dismal for the retirement bout of a boxing legend. It points to the fact that after the disappointment of MayPac, which broke records based on years of anticipation, Mayweather no longer had the public's interest.
McGregor, on the other hand, has had his last four PPV events all crack the million buy mark. The most recent, UFC 205 at Madison Square Garden, also set the box office record for the historic venue with a gate of over $17 million. McGregor is also finding the mainstream success (appearing in video games, fielding movie offers) that Mayweather never had.
If Mayweather wants to return to the ring one last time, he needs someone he can draw with, because his name has been devalued due to a poor public image (allegations of abuse against women) and a style the public has tired of. McGregor is exactly the opponent he needs, and the promotion for the event would be insane.