The possibility of seeing Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather slug it out with lighter gloves is still very much on the cards.
Floyd Mayweather has followed through with his offer to use 8 oz gloves for his August 26 bout against Conor McGregor, despite the Dubliner’s somewhat dismissive response.
According to the rules, fighters over 135 lbs should wear ten-ounce gloves, but fighters between the 135-pound to the 147-pound range are able to wear 8 oz gloves upon agreement.
Since ‘The Money Fight’ is set at 154 lbs, where the 8 oz gloves aren’t permitted, it was thought that Mayweather’s promise was an empty one. However, NAC executive director Bob Bennett confirmed that Mayweather inquired about the process of using 8 oz gloves last week and his latest update is that ‘The Money Team’ have taken it to the next stage.
The head says he hasn't got a hope, but the heart… https://t.co/NxD0ERQE5P
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) June 28, 2017
Bennett told Sky Sports that Mayweather’s team have submitted a request to the NAC for both competitors in the diamond-encrusted panty night to use 8 oz gloves, while McGregor’s team are in the process of submitting a request.
The NAC will vote on the request at its next meeting, set for August 16 in Las Vegas.
“The promoters have a legal opportunity to submit a waiver, then appear before our commission to articulate why they think we should make an exception to our regulations. This is an anomaly. I haven’t experienced this in over three years on the job. I checked with the previous executive director, Hall-of-Famer Marc Ratner, and our program officer, who has been here for 30 years. To the best of their recollection, we have never had a request like this.”
Mayweather and McGregor will have to state their case in front of the commission at the meeting with the hope of being handed a waiver to allow the use of 8 oz gloves.
