A mega fight between Conor McGregor and retired pound-for-pound boxing champion Floyd Mayweather appears to be on the horizon, especially now that the UFC superstar has received a boxing license to compete in the state of California.
In an interview with UK’s The Sun, McGregor’s coach John Kavanagh said there is a “strong chance” that the superfight between the two will happen “next year.”
“Is it getting any close? I don’t know, but it certainly wouldn’t surprise me that it’s going to happen,” Kavanagh was quoted saying.
The current UFC lightweight champion has repeatedly offered to fight Mayweather in a boxing ring—only if there’s at least a $100 million payout, according to Fox Sports. Mayweather, on the other hand, insists that the offers were McGregor’s attempt to get some free publicity.
If the bout does happen, sportsbook Bodog believes Mayweather—whose evasive and wily style of boxing has resulted in a 49-0 record—will emerge the winner. The odds? Bodog has Mayweather at -2250 and McGregor at +950.
“This fight is a long shot to happen, in my opinion, and McGregor is a bigger long shot if it does happen,” said Bodog sportsbook manager Kevin Bradley, according to Oddsshark. “Floyd has never really been hit his entire career against the baddest professional boxers in the world, so Conor will have to shock the world to even lay some leather on Mayweather. Our -2250 line on this speculative fight reflects those facts.”
Talks of a possible matchup—which remains to be a fantasy bout—between McGregor and Mayweather started heating up early this year, and has since intensified after both fighters lobbed quite a few verbal jabs at one another. But as it stands today, the fight has the remotest chance of happening. Dana White, president of the UFC, said Mayweather would have to step into the cage to get a shot at McGregor, an offer that was recently refused by Mayweather Promotions CEO Leonard Ellerbe.
