May 06--When Floyd Mayweather Jr. last weekend referred to a comeback fight for "nine figures," was he referring to a date with Ultimate Fighting Championship star Conor McGregor?
The Sun tabloid in England reported Friday that, "Both sides just have to agree on the purse and sign the paperwork -- which sources say is imminent -- and an announcement is likely to be made in the coming weeks" for a summer fight.
UFC President Dana White told the Los Angeles Times on Friday that the question about McGregor-Mayweather was the first he had heard of it.
"McGregor-Mayweather? No," White said.
"It'd be very hard to pull off. I've heard Floyd is on a worldwide vacation on Mayweather Air spending millions in every country he visits."
And when asked if McGregor could fight outside the UFC in a boxing match of his choosing, White said, "Never.
"We're his promoter. We'd have to make the fight."
White said McGregor has never even raised the idea to him about any interest in boxing Mayweather.
White called the Sun report "completely fiction, this is like bottom-feeder ... stuff."
The UFC has permitted only one MMA-boxing fight, and that was in a UFC cage when former two-division champion Randy Couture cruised to victory over former boxing champion James Toney.
McGregor, whose strength is stand-up fighting, has engaged Mayweather in a social-media war of words, and before his March 5 loss to Nate Diaz, there was buzz that such a bout would generate a financial windfall even if Mayweather's sharp, well-developed skill would likely dominate the charismatic Irishman.
According to the Sun report, a source said, "Floyd went mad after Conor said he would crush him and knock him out in 30 seconds, he's obsessed with making Conor eat his words. Floyd is calling the shots. It's strictly boxing and Conor will have to lose roughly 25 pounds.
"It was agreed in principle on May 2, but Floyd wouldn't reveal the identity of his opponent until last night when he told friends he'll be fighting Conor."
McGregor is currently in a riff with UFC after failing to appear at a news conference in Las Vegas last month. The UFC scratched his scheduled July 9 UFC 200 main-event welterweight rematch against Diaz, despite McGregor lobbying for reconsideration.
Oddsmaker Bovada set McGregor as a 20-1 underdog in the fight, denoting such a bout would have to be sanctioned by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
It's believed Mayweather (49-0), should he choose to end his retirement, would fight someone like unbeaten World Boxing Council welterweight boxing champion Danny Garcia or perhaps a rematch with Manny Pacquiao, who's also currently retired.
