As someone who likes to bet big bucks on sporting events, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Floyd Mayweather Jr. isn’t passing up on the chance to place a wager in his upcoming boxing match against Conor McGregor.
And who will the five-division world champion bet on? Himself, of course.
“I’m never going to bet against myself. Never,” Mayweather told talk show host Jimmy Kimmel on Tuesday.
Legally, nothing is stopping Mayweather from placing wagers, since the August 26 fight will take place in Las Vegas, where gambling is legal. And it appears that even Conor McGregor is also betting on himself, according to reports.
The practice of betting on oneself, however, is not without controversy. For example, Daniel Haye got into trouble with the British Boxing Board of Control after reports surfaced that he placed a bet on himself to beat Audley Harrison in the third round of their WBA title bout in 2010. Haye told BBC that he only encouraged friends and relatives to bet on the third round, but he “didn’t physically go into a betting shop and say here’s X amount of money.”
British boxing rules prohibit fighters from betting on their own bouts.
Mayweather’s prop bet offer
In any case, Mayweather and other punters will have to make a large wager to net a winning—something the Kimmel pointed out. At sportsbook Bodog, Mayweather’s odds of winning is at -450, while McGregor holds at +350. The odds also favor a Mayweather victor by KO, TKO or DQ at -150, and by decision at +230.
In response, the undefeated boxing champion made an offer that Kimmel can’t refuse.
“It’s worth it. Whatever you bet, and if you don’t win, I’ll give it back to you,” Mayweather said.
The boxer isn’t also closing his doors on the possibility of a rematch, this time inside an MMA cage.
“As of right now, we’ve got to get past August 26. Once we get past August 26, then we could talk about other things,” Mayweather said.
