Conor: Where’s my money, I may show up at Mayweather’s front door

On May 6, a report surfaced in Rupert Murdoch’s The Sun that UFC featherweight champion Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather Jr, the greatest boxer of his generation, were about to announce they’d be boxing in Vegas. The next day Mayweather Sr confirmed the pair would be fighting.

The hardcore fanbase was dubious in the extreme, but UFC color commentator Joe Rogan speculated about how and why the UFC could allow it to take place, which pushed it at least into possible.

Then FOX Sports host Colin Cowherd said it was really happening, and gave the date – September 17. Mayweather said absolutely the fight was happening.

Then reality entered the discussion. UFC president Dana White said he was open to discussion, but it began with elbows, kicks, AND punches. And on April 1st, McGregor and Mayweather even fought in a bar.

The discussion died down until July, when McGregor’s team released footage of ‘Notorious’ boxing sparring with former world boxing champion Chris Van Heerden. Van Heerden said Mayweather would outbox McGregor all day, and that set off more weeks of chatter.

However, over and again White noted that Floyd had never called him. And McGregor’s contract with the UFC forbids him from participating in other combat sports without permission, so the fight had to go through White. White and Mayweather had been amiable acquaintances when White was getting started in combat sports management before he put together the plan to buy the UFC.

Eventually, Mayweather conceded that the fight wasn’t happening. All, bizarrely, without calling Dana White. In the end, he said “you live and you learn.”

McGregor recently took part in a LADbible-sponsored Facebook Live Q&A and was asked, Will a fight between you and Floyd Mayweather ever happen?

McGregor was #85 on the Forbes list of highest-paid athletes this year, with $22,000,000. Mayweather was #16 with $44,000,000, and the year before that, Mayweather was #1 with $300,000,000. So McGregor did not reply with a “no.” Instead, he stirred it up.

Floyd’s afraid of a fight, said McGregor. Floyd doesn’t want the fight. Floyd wants a boxing match, and I’ve already said, ‘No problem. Get my f***ing money, and when you get my money, then we can box in this boxing match under this set of specific rules that will keep you alive.’

So, I’m here. Where’s my money? Because if you keep dropping my name and you haven’t got my money, then I’m going to show up at your front door.

Floyd does not want the fight, said McGregor. Floyd wants a match under a specific set of rules. I don’t need rules, so I’m open.

Let’s see what happens. Right now it’s just talk.