“I am happily retired and enjoying life at this time.”
Floyd Mayweather has dismissed reports that a lucrative deal has been agreed to set up a fight with Conor McGregor.
Reports earlier this week suggested that a multi-million dollar deal had been put in place that would see the Irish UFC star and the former boxer go head to head, following months and months of speculation about a high-profile contest.
Mayweather took to Twitter on Tuesday night to dismiss those reports and although he didn’t rule out the prospect entirely, his post seemed to suggest that any deal is a long way away yet.
— Floyd Mayweather (@FloydMayweather) February 14, 2017
Mayweather’s tweet came following a report in the LA Times claiming that UFC head honcho Dana White had sent the paper a text message to say: “No deal is even close to being done.”
The LA Times report also carried quotes from a veteran UFC official speaking on the condition of anonymity, who said that a meeting between Dana White and Mayweather’s advisor Al Haymon would have to take place before any deal is done over a potential bout.
The official said that the UFC would also have to be involved.
“This is about (the UFC) protecting its franchise and about those who invested $4 billion in the company (in a July sale) protecting their investment,” the official said.
“There’s much more at stake here than $100 million for Conor McGregor. This is about $4 billion.”
The biggest stumbling block between the guaranteed pay-per-view bonanza is McGregor’s contract with the UFC, which is watertight and ties ‘The Notorious’ to the company for his next four fights.
And Mayweather, presumably sick of the barking and online back-and-forths, cut through all the trash talk to break the situation down to its most basic issue – that McGregor must first get past his employer if he is to have any hope of fattening his already pudgy bank balance with a fight opposite the 49-0 boxing great.
— Floyd Mayweather (@FloydMayweather) February 15, 2017
Looks like this one is going to rumble on for a while yet.
