LAS VEGAS — When it was announced in June that UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor would face Floyd Mayweather in a 12-round boxing match on Saturday night from The T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, the prevailing thought was why?
Why would McGregor want to do this? He's the biggest star the sport of mixed martial arts had ever seen. He's the highest paid athlete in the sport. The 29-year-old could choose his own path on who he wants to fight in MMA and become the greatest fighter the sport has ever seen.
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McGregor doesn't think along those lines.
The prevailing thought heading into a fight the world thought would never happen is that Mayweather would easily beat McGregor, not only damaging the Irishman's reputation but also MMA's. Because the sports are completely different, someone with no boxing experience should not face the best boxer of this generation. An ugly loss by McGregor would suggest that MMA is nothing more than a novelty sport, and that boxing is the premiere combat sport.
While those are valid points, regardless of what happens Saturday night, this is a victory for McGregor and MMA.
"Yeah, I think it’s a win-win for combat sports," UFC president Dana White told SN. "I always like when these types of fights come together and you can see where the bar is on what’s possible.
"I’ve said this since the first day we got into this business ... combat sports are the biggest sports on Earth. There’s nothing bigger than this. When you get the right guys and the right place at the right time, literally the world will be watching this fight on Saturday in over 200 countries on pay-per-view. Boxing never does digital because the biggest promoters in boxing are Showtime and HBO. And they don’t like OTT. None of those networks like that s—. But we’re the best at it in combat sports. The pre-buy numbers are off the charts. So basically, if you’re anywhere on this planet and you have wi-fi, you can watch this fight."
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More eyes have been focused on McGregor and MMA than ever before since the Mayweather fight announcement. Saturday's fight is expected to blow through the previous PPV record of 4.6 million buys, set by Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao in 2015, and surpass 5 million. MMA hasn't come close to that figure. The highest generating pay-per-view was 1.65 million buys for the rematch between McGregor and Nate Diaz at UFC 202 last August.
"Conor’s going out there and representing our sport and himself," UFC Flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson told Sporting News. "I’m sure us mixed martial artists, we have the skills to hang with the best [boxers]."
f the financial figures do what Mayweather and White expect, then McGregor would make around $100 million, which is almost 10 times the amount he ever made for a UFC fight. Not bad for someone who days before his UFC debut in 2013, picked up a welfare check.
"He’s about to make like $100 million dollars," Johnson said. "While you guys spend the rest of your days doubting him, he’s spending the rest of his days eating lobster. So for him, I’m happy for him and his family."
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Even if McGregor gets blown out like many expect, he will have money for several generations of his family. The exposure alone should entice young fighters to sell their fights better and attract more attention, which in turn nets them and the promoters more money.
While both the McGregor and MMA brands will grow even with a loss, a win or even a decision would take it to another level. If the UFC star merely competes with one of the greatest boxers of all-time, MMA will see a huge windfall in terms or money and publicity.
Think about that for a moment. For a sport and a fighter many people didn't give a chance to succeed, both are now on the precipice of a new era.
Steven Muehlhausen is an MMA and boxing writer and contributor for Sporting News. You can listen to his podcast, "The Fight Junkies" here. You can email him at [email protected] and can find him on Twitter @SMuehlhausenMMA.
