Conor McGregor vs. Floyd Mayweather Would Be Embarrassing, Says Oscar De La Hoya

Count former boxer Oscar De La Hoya among those who think it would be a bad idea for MMA fighter Conor McGregor to face undefeated Floyd Mayweather Jr. in a boxing match.

"Boxing is boxing and MMA is MMA," De La Hoya said, per a Tuesday ESPN.com report. "They're two separate sports. … It would be a joke, it would be an embarrassment for boxing if an MMA fighter were to go into the ring. It would be a no-contest. It would be the same thing if a fighter went into the Octagon, it would be an embarrassment for MMA."

A "will they or won't they" spectacle has surrounded McGregor and Mayweather for some time, much like there was with Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao before they finally stepped into the ring together.

While McGregor has successfully applied for a boxing license in California, he doesn't have a professional boxing pedigree and would be fighting a five-weight world champion in the 49-0 Mayweather.

De La Hoya knows something about fighting Mayweather since he lost to the undefeated champion in 2007. He suggested McGregor would be better off to start small if he wants to legitimately pursue a boxing career and then work his way up to an opponent like Mayweather, rather than immediately step into the ring against one of the all-time greats.

This comes after ESPN's Stephen A. Smith said Mayweather told him "we're getting very, very close" to the potential showdown, per Brett Okamoto of ESPN.com. Okamoto noted Nevada State Athletic Commission chairman Anthony Marnell said the commission is aware of negotiations.