Mayweather, McGregor agree on 8 oz. gloves, but …
Conor McGregor: “Pick whatever size gloves you want as well little man. I fight with 4oz. I don’t give a f@$% about the size of the glove.”
When the idea of Floyd Mayweather boxing Conor McGregor was first broached, UFC president Dana White wanted some degree of hybrid rules.
“If we start negotiating, it starts with punches kicks and elbows,” he said at the time. “And we can either add or subtract from there, which ever way we go.”
But when MayMac was finally announced, it was with boxing rules only, which means 10 oz. gloves. That is long way up from the 4 oz gloves that are used in professional MMA, or even from the 6 oz gloves used by amateurs.
Recently, however, Mayweather said he was game to use 8 oz gloves, a small concession.
“Don’t believe what you hear in the media,” wrote one of Mayweather’s media people on Instagram. “Don’t believe what you hear on blog sites. If it’s not coming directly from me, then it’s not true. I’m telling McGregor, ‘Let’s fight in 8 oz gloves.’ McGregor can fight in any brand he prefers or chooses. I’ll be wearing 8 oz Grant gloves. Whatever advantage McGregor needs to feel more comfortable in the ring, I’m willing to accommodate. Let’s give the boxing and MMA fans what they want to see.”
That got 200,000 likes in 18 hours.
And, naturally, McGregor responded.
“Another handy 12 rounds today,” responded Notorious on Instagram. “We are prepared to destroy Floyd. Pick whatever size gloves you want as well little man. I fight with 4oz. I don’t give a f*** about the size of the glove. I am coming sprinting at you with bricks. Know that. Brittle hands.”
That got 500,000 likes in five hours. At the very least, McGregor is destroying Mayweather on the social network.
While the pair have agreed to 8 oz gloves, they are fighting in Nevada, under the regulation of the Nevada State Athletic Commission, in a 12-round junior middleweight bout. A clearly explained in Eric Magraken‘s Combat Sports Law Blog, NSAC rules dictate that boxers weighing up to 135 pounds must use 8-ounce gloves, while boxers weighing above 135 pounds must use 10-ounce gloves. 154 > 135 so according to the rules, the gloves have to 10 oz.
“These regulations are in place for the health and safety of the athletes, which is of the utmost importance to the commission,” said NSAC executive director Bob Bennett to ESPN. “Our regulations already outline the appropriate glove size according to contracted weight of a fight.”
The NSAC does have a directive to operate in a way that is beneficial to the Nevada economy, so it is possible that if the fighters push hard for the 8s, some accommodation might be made.
Bennett told Marc Raimondi for MMA Fighting that Team Mayweather had in fact inquired about getting a glove size waiver, and that the commission could consider it at their next meeting which falls on August 16.
They wanted to know what the process and what their options were, said Bennett said. They would have to come before the commission and articulate why they should be permitted to have their fight using 8-ounce gloves. The chairman [Anthony Marnell] and commissioners would make the determination with the health and safety of the fighters being the number-one priority.
Whether a petition is actually made remains to be seen.
