We should probably take everything Floyd Mayweather says with a large pinch of diamond encrusted salt.
Reports emerged during the week – and were immediately dismissed by the MMA community – that a multi-million dollar fight between Mayweather and Conor McGregor was on the verge of being announced.
Absolutely no truth to this McGregor-Mayweather story. I can't believe people are actually falling for this nonsense. … (Cont'd)
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) May 6, 2016
A) McGregor has a UFC contract. He can't just go fight Mayweather. And b) do you really think he would agree to those pay terms? C'mon now.
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) May 6, 2016
Most right-minded people were content to leave it at that, but Mayweather just can’t help himself, can he?
He must get a percentage of every headline that mentions his name.
Speaking in the MGM Grand ahead of Saturday night’s fight between Canelo Alvarez and Amir Khan, Mayweather was asked about the possibility that he would soon be facing an unnamed star of MMA.
“It’s possible. There was a name that was shot at me,” he said.
“The rumours that you’re all hearing may not be a rumour. Keep your fingers crossed. It may be a boxer versus a MMA fighter.”
Mayweather is then asked how excited he is by that prospect. And obviously, in Mayweather’s world, excitement equals cash money.
“You already know my number,” he said. “I talked about that on TV the other day. Every time I go out there and compete at the highest level my number is, of course, $100 million or better.”
Of course.
Mayweather’s dad was also reading from the same script, claiming his son *will* be taking on the Irishman at some point in the future.
“I’m very sure he’ll [ Floyd Mayweather Jr ] be fighting when it’s time.
“He told me he was going to take another fight against some MMA fighter. We don’t care about that man, we’ll beat the hell out of that man.
“I haven’t seen the guy but all I got to do is take a good look at him and I can tell you my son can whoop him. He’s dead. He’s a dead man.
“I thought that’s what they’re going to do. I don’t know when it’s going to come round but it will be pretty soon. It won’t be that long.”
Convinced? No, neither are we.
McGregor appears destined for a rematch with Nate Diaz at UFC 202 in August, and when that is announced it will banish all talk of a Mayweather fight. For a while at least.
