The war of words between Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather haven’t ceased.
Last night (Feb. 13) a report stating McGregor and Mayweather had agreed to financial terms on a boxing match sent the world of sports in a frenzy. ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith chimed in, the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) chairman commented, and oddsmakers put odds on the bout actually materializing.
Despite the buzz, Mayweather released a statement claiming that no bout had been agreed upon and he was “happily retired.” McGregor caught wind of “Money’s” comments and took to his Twitter account to respond. See the troll post below:
I am in Las Vegas. Floyd has retired on my arrival. pic.twitter.com/z9EcxBJaDr
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) February 15, 2017
The last time McGregor competed was at UFC 205 back in Nov. 2016. He finished Eddie Alvarez to become the first fighter in Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) history to hold two belts simultaneously. Heading into the bout, McGregor was the featherweight champion. On that night, he walked out with lightweight gold as well.
Not only was “Notorious” victorious, but he also blew the doors down in terms of numbers. UFC 205 generated $37.4 million and broke UFC’s and Madison Square Garden’s live gate records. Since then, McGregor has been adamant about having a boxing match with Mayweather.
“Notorious” has gone as far as to say the Ali Act could be his ticket to pulling off the bout without the UFC’s consent. The reigning lightweight kingpin has obtained his boxing license in the state of California.
If a match-up with Mayweather doesn’t come to fruition, the next logical step would be a unification bout. No. 1 ranked 155-pounder Khabib Nurmagomedov and No. 2 ranked Tony Ferguson will trade leather at UFC 209 on March 4 to decide who’ll be crowned the interim lightweight title holder.
The winner would likely meet McGregor later this year, but with the star power and influence the champion has, it isn’t something to consider a lock.