Floyd Mayweather Talks Conor McGregor 'Master Plan' and Jon Jones Joining TMT
Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s ambitions for the future include a "master plan" to make happen a fight with Conor McGregor—a man the ex-boxer insists he wouldn't underestimate—and recruiting UFC star Jon Jones to The Money Team, he's revealed.
In recent weeks, rumours about a possible bout between Mayweather, regarded as the greatest boxer of his generation, and McGregor, the UFC’s featherweight champion, have gripped the combat sports world; the latter fueled talk by posting a mock-up poster of himself face to face with the American on Twitter.
While in some quarters it’s been written off as a fanciful prospect, the man known as Money told ESPNEWS (h/t Jed Meshew of MMA Fighting) he thinks this one could happen:
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"I'm pretty sure we're gonna have a master plan to make that fight happen. It hasn't happened yet, but we locked down some dates. Me and my team, me and Al Haymon, me and Leonard Ellerbe we locked down some dates in different countries, in different cities in the United States. And you already know what my number is, 100 million [dollars]. That's just the guarantee. We don't talk about my number on the back end.
"
Mayweather also stated the only fight he would end his retirement for is one against McGregor. Money quit the sport last year after winning all 49 of his professional bouts.
It’s a boxing fight Money, as one of the most naturally gifted boxers of all time, would be a huge favourite for. McGregor, as strong as he is against other MMA stars inside the Octagon in stand-up exchanges, would find things extremely tough if he were to change codes and fight any professional, never mind taking on one of the best of all time.
However, Mayweather doesn’t think he could afford to underestimate the Irishman.
“He's a strong fighter, and when I look at him fight, he's a little faster than I thought he was, so if the fight happens, I can't overlook the guy,” he said. “I'm pretty sure—if we make the fight happen—I’m pretty sure he's gonna push me to the limit.”
While a boxing fight between the two would be a major mismatch and potentially a disengaging spectacle, you can bet plenty around the globe would be intrigued enough to tune in and see.
McGregor and Mayweather are the biggest names in their respective sports, after all. The latter has pushed the UFC to a brand-new audience with his bullish antics and brash fighting style; a potential pre-fight build-up against someone like Money would capture the attention of so many too.
As Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Snowden noted, despite the fact that McGregor has no professional boxing experience, he’d be one of only a select few extremely lucrative options for Mayweather should he return to the sport:
"Mayweather has four fights that could top 1 million buys: GGG, Canelo, Pacquiao, McGregor https://t.co/C3Q1q9Exkp
— Jonathan Snowden (@JESnowden) May 14, 2016"
The boxer also revealed he would like to make UFC star Jon Jones part of The Money Team, as the light heavyweight star ticks a lot of boxes on their agenda.
“Jon Jones is with the MMA but we still gotta communicate and put some things together, me and him,” Mayweather said. “We’d love [Jones] to be a part of TMT. We steady growing. And it's not just about us making money; it's about the talent winning.”
The man known as Bones is rated by many as one of the best fighters to ever compete in the UFC and will face Daniel Cormier in the main event at UFC 200 on July 9 for the light heavyweight title. It was a show McGregor was meant to headline with a tussle against Nate Diaz, but the fight was scrapped thanks to the Irishman’s unwillingness to play a full part in promotional duties.
BreatheSport summed up the astonishing rise of Jones, who has come a long way in the sport since the previous centenary UFC event:
"Jon Jones:
— BreatheSport (@BreatheSport) April 27, 2016"
2009: A nobody on the prelims for #UFC100
2016: One of the greats headlining #UFC200
What a ride! pic.twitter.com/Yc8xt65ert
Talk of Mayweather-McGregor will rumble on and on, and while the former clearly wants the bout to happen, there are a lot of roadblocks in the way still.
Of course, the amount of money the fight would generate could potentially push it forward; however, McGregor is tied to a UFC contract, and provided the company doesn’t cut an extraordinary deal, it’s tough to see it permitting this venture.
The Irishman would surely be reluctant to take part too. Granted, he’d earn a lot of money and is a fighter who has shown a willingness to push boundaries in the past. But he’s also a proud competitor; if McGregor were to step into the ring with Mayweather, he, like Money's previous professional opponents, would be forensically beaten.
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