IRISH MIXED MARTIAL arts champion Conor McGregor is set to land the biggest payday of his career later this year.
McGregor, the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s current lightweight champion, will swap MMA for boxing to take on Floyd Mayweather in the ring.
The long-rumoured bout was confirmed this evening by both fighters on social media, following an initial report by Yahoo Sport’s Kevin Iole.
McGregor, who will enter the bout as a massive underdog, is set to take on Mayweather in a boxing match on Saturday, 26 August at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
UFC president Dana White told TMZ that the event will be co-ordinated by Mayweather’s company, Mayweather Promotions, and it will feature an undercard of boxing bouts. Mayweather and McGregor will contest a 12-round fight with 10-ounce gloves.
According to White, both fighters will be tested by the United States Anti-Doping Agency and the UFC boss expects McGregor to make approximately €100 million from his involvement. Forbes recently reported that the 28-year-old Dubliner has earned $34 million in the past 12 months, making him the world’s 24th-highest-paid athlete.
White told ESPN’s Sportscenter that the fight will be contested at 154 pounds. Mayweather competed at between 130lbs and 154lbs during his boxing career. McGregor is the UFC’s champion at 155lbs but he has also held the 145lbs title.
McGregor has taken the UFC by storm since his debut in 2013, setting MMA records for gate receipts and pay-per-view buys while substantially increasing the amount of mainstream interest in the sport.
However, while the MMA star — who trains at Naas Road’s Straight Blast Gym — once boxed as an amateur in his teens, he has no professional experience in the ring.
Having won a bronze medal at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, Mayweather — who turned 40 in Febraury — embarked on a professional career which saw him become the most successful boxer of his era and one of the greatest of all time.
After winning all 49 of his pro bouts, Mayweather will aim to take his record to 50-0 against McGregor. Mayweather hasn’t fought since defeating Andre Berto via unanimous decision in September 2015.
McGregor’s last MMA outing resulted in a second-round TKO victory over defending UFC lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez at UFC 205 at Madison Square Garden last November.
