Boxing legend and UFC star finally come to an agreement on one of the most anticipated sporting events in decades
There’s no more room for doubt. The ultimate money fight and crossover boxing match between undefeated star Floyd Mayweather and UFC champion Conor McGregor is happening, and it will take place Aug. 26th in Las Vegas.
After months of speculation and teases, it was today announced that Mayweather vs. McGregor is official. The bout will take place at either MGM Grand Garden Arena or T-Mobile Arena and air on pay-per-view. Initially reported by Yahoo Sports, McGregor confirmed “THE FIGHT IS ON” over his Instagram account.
Mayweather followed up with a tweet.
IT’S OFFICIAL!!! https://t.co/ND07Ixugs2 pic.twitter.com/JpqFW5WbcB
— Floyd Mayweather (@FloydMayweather) June 14, 2017
Although there are many specifics related to the fight which remain unknown, such as purses, weight, ring size, glove type, etc., bout agreements from both sides have been signed.
Despite the fact McGregor has never competed in a pro boxing match, discussion of a fight with Mayweather began to heat up after UFC 205 in November, “The Notorious” claimed the UFC Lightweight belt to become the first fighter in UFC history to hold titles from two weight classes simultaneously.
McGregor has not had an MMA fight since the historic victory because he was anticipating the birth of his first child with longtime girlfriend Dee Devlin. Their child, Conor Jr., was born in early May, just as the once-fantasy matchup with Mayweather began to pick up tremendous steam.
Although many wrote off the idea of McGregor fighting one of the most successful boxers in the history of the sport, the brash Irishman remained confident it would not only happen, but that he would shock the world and pull off the victory.
Mayweather, who retired from boxing in September 2015 following his 49th consecutive win, has flip-flopped on the idea of making a comeback for McGregor, but as time went on he got on board.
The greatest hiccup in making the fight, however, was finding a way to satisfy all parties involved. McGregor is contractually obligated to the UFC, meaning he needed to reach an agreement with the company which would allow him to participate in a boxing match.
Those negotiations took time, but UFC President Dana White said he came to terms with McGregor’s team. He said striking a deal with Mayweather’s side would be the most difficult part in making the contest a reality, but apparently it didn’t take all that long.
The fight between Mayweather and McGregor was originally targeted for Sept. 16th, but when another marquee boxing matchup between Canelo Alvarez and Gennady Golovkin was announced for the same date, an alternative was needed. The Aug. 26th was today approved by the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC), just hours before the fight announcement. Mayweather had previously stated the August date was out of the question, but now it looks like one of the most anticipated sporting events of the last 25 years is indeed a reality.
Via.: RollingStone