Well, well, well.
Looks like the gods of combat sports have spoken and the internet is breaking down on the biggest news in combat sports history. The undefeated Boxing legend, Floyd ‘Money’ Mayweather is fighting the UFC’s lightweight champion, Conor ‘The Notorious’ McGregor.
Every crossover combat sports fan’s dream come true today. The rumor mill finally worked its magic and we will see two legends fighting in Las Vegas on August 26th.
He has never boxed before (professionally), yet experts are not denying the underdog fact and that his punches are fast and strong. Youth vs Experience is another thing to bank on here, while one is entering his physical prime and the other is on the out. But Mayweather has spent his entire life using his hands. That gives him a big edge on someone who has focused his entire life on his body. MMA and Boxing are different. Fighters are different. But this fight is a fantasy coming true for both fandoms.
Mayweather’s last fight was with Andre Berto back in 2015 and holds a 49-0 record. Would he make it a 50? That is definitely something to think about. McGregor has a 21-3 record after beating Eddie Alvarez last year in November. Mayweather is one of the best defensive boxers of all time and Conor is said to have explosive knockout power. Bringing both together is a deal that everyone wants a piece from.
“Floyd is the greatest of all time and Conor is the master of our sport. I thought it would be an impossible deal to do, but it was the right fight at the right time and we got it done. Everybody is happy with this deal. Nobody is bummed out.”
-Dana White
28 Year old MMA star fighting a 40-year boxing legend. The amount of money involved in this fight is staggering. Both fighters have gone under several discussions and a rumored number of $500 million are on the table and it is expected that each fighter will earn at least $100 million each. (Imagine what you’ll do with all that money if you’re Conor: Buy a throne?)
Trash talk has been going on for over a year now and now it is time for each fighter to back the talk with their action. The buildup is extraordinary, the rumors, polls, Twitter going crazy and literally every combat sports fan talking about this fight. Media attention might be as big as the presidential elections. This is just the beginning. This fight will open doors for many crossovers to come in the future.
“We’re not only drawing from the universe of boxing fans and the universe of MMA fans, we’ve actually tapped into the audience that doesn’t follow either sport. This is an unprecedented event”
Said Showtime Sports Executive Vice-President, Stephen Espinoza.
We still haven’t heard from Oscar De La Hoya in this fight and it would be interesting though. Golden Boy Promotions might have to postpone the fight between Canelo Alvarez and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in Las Vegas as well. Fans think that the spotlight was never on that fight because everyone was too busy talking about Mayweather and McGregor.
This fight will be distributed through Showtime Pay-per-View with a complete boxing card. The Nevada Athletic Commission approved the request from Mayweather Promotions yesterday and we had the final date: Finally.
Here is a stream of posts we are looking at from thousands of social media posts after the announcement:
Somebody wanted a new bestie:
And Nate being Nate. (awws)
This fight is stealing the spotlight everywhere!
And this guy with the couch.
We at RDX Sports will update you about the fight and we’ll surely have polls, contests, and giveaways for the fight. Let’s see what Moody has to predict. Stay tuned to our blog and our Facebook Page.
