Conor McGregor loves fighting. He made it clear on Sunday that he is committed to the fight game in any form. So when the rumors surfaced a couple weeks ago about a possible matchup with Floyd Mayweather, McGregor was intrigued but knew the projected payout was a joke.
"It was him that leaked the rumor," McGregor said during an interview Sunday on SportsCenter. "It said he would get $100 million and I would get $7 million. That's a pay cut to me; I don't take pay cuts. I thought boxing was where the money was at. The $7 million is absolutely laughable. If he's talking $100 million, then I'm also talking $100 million. I'm 27 years of age, and I'm about halfway through a $100 million contract. At 27 years of age, Floyd Mayweather was on Oscar De La Hoya's undercard. Compare that."
McGregor, who didn't completely dispel the rumor, thinks he would have a shot against Mayweather no matter what type of fight they face off in.
"He's getting old now. I have the size, I have the reach, I have the height, I have the youth," McGregor said. "He needs me; I don't need him. That's the truth. Who else can he fight? He fights someone in the boxing realm and all of a sudden, the pay goes down from $100 million to $15 million. He needs me. If he wants to talk, we can talk. But it's me who is in control here.
"I don't care about rules, He can make all the rules he wants. I know he would not want to fight in a mixed martial arts contest, a true fight. If you want to fight in a limited fight, no problem, we can do that. I will set aside many other forms of fighting that I practice and I will focus on one particular craft."
A Mayweather-McGregor fight in the Octagon would truly be a quick fight. But in the boxing ring, things might be closer than people think. McGregor is known for his standup striking ability and precision assaults. He doesn't bring the same power of a larger fighter, but he is surgical in his strikes, waiting to find the right spot to make contact.
Mayweather fights in a similar fashion, but he uses his speed and jab to keep distance from fighters and wait for his shot. Mayweather is also a professional boxer, not a mixed martial artist. He's arguably the best technical boxer of all time -- at least according to him.
Either way, it will be good to see McGregor back in action in some form or fashion soon.
