Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Conor McGregor: Just Knock it Off!
Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Conor McGregor: Just Knock it Off!
By: Matthew N. Becher
Last weekend the UFC debuted its first fight card in New York City, at the great Madison Square Garden. History was made that night, as the new poster boy for the company, Conor McGregor, became the first ever UFC fighter to become a champion in two different weight classes simultaneously. It was a great night for mixed martial arts, for the UFC and for sports fans, but soon after came the dreaded talks of putting Conor McGregor against the best boxer in the world, Floyd Mayweather Jr.
First of all, this is one of the more ridiculous ideas that keep coming up, ad naseum. Personally, I am just sick and tired of the idea. I don’t want to watch Kevin Durant play cornerback against Julio Jones, and I don’t want to see if Lebron James can hit a fastball off of Aroldis Chapman. Elite athletes in different sports cannot compete against one another. This rings extremely true in combat sports. Since the person in the wrong place could get devastatingly hurt.
Soon after the UFC205 event a TMZ sports cameraman asked Floyd what he thought about the comparisons between himself and McGregor. Mayweather replied with,
“I didn’t know Conor McGregor was undefeated. I didn’t know that he had a reign in MMA for 20 years and undefeated and was world champion in five different weight classes. That’s something I didn’t’ know. So, I guess you guys are telling me something new if you say he’s the Floyd Mayweather of the MMA…..If you’re saying he’s the Floyd Mayweather of the MMA, I’m trying to find out: has he ever made $300 million in one night? Has he ever made $100 million in one night ,has he ever made $70 million in one night? So, as far as trying to say he’s the Floyd Mayweather of MMA…I mean, it’s OK to say it. It’s not true….I’m a legend, a living legend. The sport of boxing, I gave years and years of Hard work. It was blood sweat and tears. Had a tremendous team, had a tremendous run. I think that it’s time for Conor McGregor to go out there and do what he do. But never compare Conor McGregor to me. It’s a total disrespect. Once again, I’m an elephant. An elephant don’t beef with ants. Elephant is so large, he don’t even see ants.”
For the most part all of this is true. Floyd is a legend that has dispatched all comers and has made himself into one of the richest athletes on the planet. He stepped away from the sport over a year ago and is going to turn 40 in a few months. That being said, he would still beat a novice boxer in a boxing match. But who even wants to watch that?
McGregor retorted back with, “Tell Floyd to say it to my face”, and “I will fight Floyd in a Boxing match for $100 million dollars”. Which is a great thing to come back with, I would fight Floyd for a $100 million dollars as well. The thing is, the outcome would be the same for myself and McGregor, we would be completed out schooled and embarrassed by one of the greatest boxers of a generation.
If the fight were in MMA rules, then my story would absolutely change, and I would say that McGregor would destroy Floyd with his superior skill set, but Floyd would never in a million years take that risk, who would.
The fact of the matter is, it’s a stupid pipe dream to want to see these two go at it with each other, in a boxing ring or otherwise. Let’s just be happy with the fact that McGregor is a young lion in The UFC, who has years left to take on plenty of opponents. And let’s also be thankful that Floyd Mayweather is retired, and we know longer have to watch him dance around a ring for 36 minutes.