Dana White has suggested that Floyd Mayweather could compete in a crossover fight against a UFC fighter this year, with the two men currently in talks to plot the boxer’s return to action.
The UFC chief is targeting an autumn fight, having previously helped engineer the 2017 showdown between Mayweather and Conor McGregor in 2017.
Although White admitted to apprehensions over the crossover concept, the American said it’d be hard not to make something happen if the interest was there.
“The easiest way to explain it to you is Floyd and I both feel that we add value to each other, and we’re going to figure something out,” White told ESPN.
“Some things have to play out, and then I’m going to start talking to (Mayweather’s promoter Al) Hayman maybe this summer and then I’ll have something for Floyd in the fall.”
When asked what Mayweather’s plans are, he declared: “Compete. The money is in Floyd competing.”
Explaining the plans for a possible crossover fight later this year, White added: “We’ll see. We can do some crossover stuff here, or we can do something in boxing.
“Our last experience, Floyd was actually pretty easy to deal with. Haymon is incredible to deal with. Floyd and I got a handshake deal at the basketball game, and we’ll get the rest figured out.
“I don’t love them (crossover fights). … (But) when the demand is there. I felt the demand for McGregor vs. Mayweather, felt it, I knew it would be big, so we started talking.
“Then once I started to really feel it, that’s when I started to take it serious, and I made an offer. … It will be interesting to see if we start to see that kind of demand again with any kind of crossover fight.”
Mayweather has been retired from boxing since 2017, when he beat McGregor by technical knockout, but has made multiple comebacks over the course of his career.
He holds a perfect record, having fought and won 50 fights since first turning professional in 1996.
