Master, it's time to honour your bet! :)

[Alpha]

I thought Dana was just a figurehead these days. Didn't those other guys buy the UFC?

[ruthless rocco]

It's rumoured that the UFC will take between 50% and 80% of McGregor's purse.

[Master]

Negotiations for a boxing rules fight between Floyd Mayweather and UFC star Conor McGregor have reached "a standstill," according to Showtime Sports vice-president Stephen Espinoza.

Former five-weight world champion Mayweather wanted the fight in June but it is yet to advance past the discussions stage and Espinoza believes it could be a case of now or never.

"It's largely at a standstill," he told Yahoo Sports’ Chris Mannix Boxing podcast.

"There hasn't been a ton of progress and I think if they don't move relatively quickly, people may move on. People may tire of it."

Espinoza said the deal could be time sensitive due to Mayweather's "ring rust" and his age.

Mayweather, 40, has not boxed since a September 2015 decision victory over Andre Berto. McGregor, 12 years Floyd's junior, competed three times last year and is in peak-form as a mixed martial artist.

"It is something that needs to happen this year or it probably won't happen," Espinoza said. "Floyd [has been out of action for] 18 months [and it'll be] two solid years come September since he's fought. He's still in great shape, but at a certain point, he's not gonna do it after a while."

Espinoza added that if the super-fight were booked then the UFC may fear losing McGregor to retirement, regardless of whether the Irish icon won or lost.

"I think part of the fear on the UFC's side is that they'll never see Conor again. If he makes 50, 60 or 70 [million dollars] and then he retires in Ireland… so much for their megastar."


Major US broadcaster says it's now or never for Conor McGregor v Floyd Mayweather

[Master]

Vasyl Lomachenko is atop many pound-for-pound lists in boxing. The Ukranian is a world champion at super featherweight, which is 130 pounds in boxing. A multiple-time Olympic gold medalist in boxing, he recently called out Irish superstar Conor McGregor. Not for a boxing match, which has been McGregor's focus of late. Instead, Lomachenko mentioned a background in wrestling, judo, and the Russian grappling art of sambo, and asked Conor McGregor if he should try his luck in the UFC.

With McGregor currently the biggest active draw in combat sports, it makes sense for Lomachenko to call him out. Unlike Mayweather, however- currently the Irishman’s target- Lomachenko is willing to step across the rulesets and give McGregor what he said he wants- a fight under mixed martial arts (MMA) rules.

Perhaps the inspiration for the idea came from Lomachenko’s training session with former bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw. He spent four rounds sparring with Dillashaw under boxing rules. Dillashaw’s take? “He kicked my [expletive].”

Boxing stars have made crossovers into MMA before. Holly Holm was the most spectacular of them all, knocking out Ronda Rousey to win a world title. McGregor recently made an Instagram post that stated boxers would get 'dismantled and killed' in a real fight. It appears Lomachenko is willing to take Conor up on that assertion.

Boxing wizard Vasyl Lomachenko calls out Conor McGregor - for UFC fight

[Master]

After watching Canelo Alvarez outclass fellow countryman Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in Las Vegas last night, the crowd in attendance at the T-Mobile Arena erupted at the announcement that he will next face IBF-WBA-WBC middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin on September 16.

While the news of the fight was met with widespread approval from the combat sports community, one man sat in in the T-Mobile Arena last evening wouldn’t have been so happy—UFC President, Dana White.

Alongside UFC featherweight Yair Rodriquez, White was in attendance last evening having been invited by Golden Boy Promotions earlier in the week. Like most others in the arena, White had seemingly no idea of the looming announcement.

Speaking to FightHub TV after the fight, he revealed that the announcement had put a spanner in the works for the Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor fight happening in September.

“We just lost our date to Canelo and GGG, but that’s a good fight, I’ll be at that one too,” White said.

“Canelo looked good tonight—Canelo looked awesome. GGG is fun man, he’s the guy that boxing needs to it will be a fun fight. So is Canelo. Tonight, Canelo went at it too and I kept asking my friends at HBO what’s the punch stat—how many punches has this guy landed? How many power punches because the number must be huge.”

Reporters then asked for an update on the status of the Mayweather vs. McGregor fight and how close it was to happening. The fight has been widely criticized with most saying it would be uncompetitive, but White believes that anything can happen.

“Floyd wants this fight and we’re trying to make it so let’s see what happens,” White told FightHub TV.

“Floyd is the best in the history of the game and Conor is one of the best ever in the history of our game so people want to see it and I’m always interested in putting together fights people want to see.

“Anything is possible when two guys get in there and start throwing punches—especially when someone hits as hard as Conor does. That’s what makes it fun.”

With talks seemingly at a standstill over the past few weeks, White was asked whether it was the Mayweather camp that was holding out on a deal. The UFC president denied it was and said that Mayweather is waiting on him to make the next move.

“This s**t doesn’t happen without me Floyd and you know it,” White said, addressing Mayweather directly. “Floyd is waiting on me right now he knows it. It’s not even about Floyd right now—it’s about Conor. Conor is having a baby and once he has the baby we will figure it out.”

http://www.msn.com/en-gb/sport/boxin...cid=spartanntp

[Master]

Floyd Mayweather: Conor McGregor fight will happen, says American (Primo pay up )

Floyd Mayweather says there is a "90% chance" he will take on Conor McGregor if he returns to the ring as it is "the only fight that makes sense".

Former five-weight world champion Mayweather retired unbeaten in September 2015 after 49 bouts.

Ireland's UFC lightweight champion McGregor, 28, claims he has signed his half of the deal to fight the American.

"I think the fight will happen" said 40-year-old Mayweather. "We have to give the people what they want to see."

Mayweather, who was speaking after his fighter Gervonta Davis beat Liam Walsh in London, said he would speak to his advisor Al Haymon and establish their next move.

"There's no rush," he added. "The only fight that makes sense to me is the McGregor fight. I guess I have one more obstacle that I have to get over.

"When we make a move it's going to be huge. When Floyd Mayweather fights it's history."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/boxing/39990339

[Batman]

I don't get all this bollocked about giving the people what they want, no boxing fan wants to see it and no casual fan that I have spoke to wants to see it

I don't know about the UFC crowd, maybe they see it as a win win fight, McGregor wins and ufc is better and boxing, Mayweather wins and McGregor would have won if it was UFC rules, maybe I don't know.

I do know that it'll take one helluva undercard to get me to pay for it.