On Sunday, Conor McGregor gave an interview to SportsCenter to talk about his current situation with the UFC, and, as we mentioned in the title, Floyd Mayweather.
McGregor told interviewer Kenny Mayne that Mayweather was the one who opted to leak the rumor of the fight. He also seemed to take great offense at being offered $7 million, while Mayweather was seeking a $100 million dollar payday, saying,
"He gets $100 million, and I get seven million? That is a pay cut to me. I don't take pay cuts. I thought boxing was where the money was at. Seven million is absolutely laughable. He's talking $100 million. I'm also talking $100 million. I'm 27 years of age and I'm just about halfway through a $100 million contract."
He then pointed out the differences in their careers at this point in their lives, taking some not-so-subtle shots at the 39-year-old Mayweather while doing so:
"At 27 years of age, Floyd Mayweather was on Oscar de la Hoya's undercard. Compare that. Who doesn't want to conquer both worlds? He's getting old now. I have the size, I have the reach, I have the height. I have the youth. He needs me, I don't need him. That's the truth of it. Who else he can fight? He fights someone else in the boxing realm, all of a sudden the pay goes from $100 million to $15 million. He needs me. If he wants to talk, we can talk, but it's me who is in control here."
You may be thinking that if this fight were to go down (which is still a freakin' longshot) McGregor wins easily if it's an MMA fight, and Mayweather wins easily if it's a boxing match. And because of that, there's no way either fighter will agree to take on the other guy in his sport. But McGregor insisted he'd be willing to don the gloves and box, though whether or not he ever has to prove those words is, as we said, a freakin' longshot:
"I don't really care about rules. He can make all the rules he wants. I know he will not want to fight in a mixed martial arts contest in a true fight. If he wants to fight in a limited fight, that's no problem we can do that. I will set a aside the many forms of fighting that I practice in and I will focus on one particular craft."
Previously UFC president Dana White poured cold water on this idea, saying there's "no way in hell" it happens while also pointed out that McGregor's contract precludes the two from brawling. However he did say that if Mayweather was serious about it, he should "call him."
We'd advise not holding your breath waiting on that call.
