In a recent interview with Brian Mazique, Floyd Mayweather Jr. reflected on how his historic 2017 crossover bout with Conor McGregor transformed the landscape of combat sports.
While discussing his illustrious career, Mayweather acknowledged the significant impact of the McGregor matchup, which took place at T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada, in front of 14,623 spectators.
“Me and Canelo did record-breaking numbers, but I think the Conor McGregor fight was when we really broke the mold. We showed that MMA and boxing could come together, and that opened the floodgates for YouTubers and everyone else to get involved in boxing,” Mayweather explained.
The event, which concluded with Mayweather securing a TKO victory in Round 10, proved to be a commercial success, generating 4.3 million domestic pay-per-view buys and exceeding $600 million in total revenue, according to Showtime.
Before the historic bout began, referee Robert Byrd had set clear expectations for McGregor, stating, “You’re going to hear me say stop because I’m not going to wrestle with you, and I’m not going to grapple with you.”
Today, McGregor maintains involvement in combat sports as a part-owner of Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC). While he has expressed interest in competing in the promotion, his current UFC contract presents obstacles. With two fights remaining on his UFC agreement, any BKFC participation would require UFC approval.
BKFC President David Feldman addressed these challenges, noting, “I can’t make that fight happen unless the UFC wanted to do something with us, and they don’t need us for anything.”
Reports also indicate that McGregor’s potential matchup against Logan Paul in India was prevented by UFC CEO Dana White, suggesting McGregor may need to complete his UFC obligations before pursuing other opportunities.
