Why Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor Are Circling Each Other Again
When Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Conor McGregor shared a ring in August 2017, the combat sports landscape shifted irreversibly. Billed as “The Money Fight,” the cross-promotional spectacle generated over 4.3 million pay-per-view buys in North America alone, second only to Mayweather’s 2015 grudge match against Manny Pacquiao. It was an event dismissed by purists as an absurd circus, yet embraced by global audiences hungry for the collision of pure boxing craftsmanship and mixed martial arts showmanship.
Nearly a decade later, the embers of that record-shattering night have flared up once more. Mayweather has reignited speculation of a rematch, casually confirming that the door to a second encounter remains wide open.
Speaking on the PBD Podcast, Mayweather offered an unvarnished assessment of where he stands with his former rival:
“Actually, I think me and Conor McGregor may lock up again. Yeah, absolutely. I don’t live with Conor McGregor, he’s not my friend. I don’t have to see him. It’s just when it’s time for us to do business and lock up, let’s do it.”
The statement was vintage Mayweather: pragmatic, unsentimental, and focused entirely on the bottom line. For Mayweather, athletic rivalry has long taken a backseat to financial viability. If the numbers balance and the audience shows appetite, the fight can happen. Yet between Mayweather’s willingness and the opening bell of a second clash lies a labyrinth of promotional politics, contractual disputes, and evolving career trajectories.
The Legacy of the 2017 Encounter
To understand why a sequel continues to command attention, one must look at the blueprint established in 2017. At the time, McGregor was at the absolute peak of his athletic and cultural powers—a simultaneous two-division UFC champion who had dismantled Eddie Alvarez at Madison Square Garden. Mayweather, though inactive, held an immaculate 49-0 record and sat atop the commercial boxing mountain.
The lead-up was an international roadshow of press conferences marked by profanity, tailored suits, and unrelenting psychological warfare. When the bell rang at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, McGregor opened aggressively, landing unorthodox angles and winning several early rounds as Mayweather patiently downloaded data behind a high guard.
By the mid-rounds, however, the inevitable fatigue of a twelve-round boxing contest caught up to the mixed martial artist. Mayweather shifted gears, walking McGregor down with uncharacteristic forward pressure before the referee intervened in the tenth round, awarding Mayweather a technical knockout victory and his milestone 50th professional win.
Both men walked away with life-altering paydays. Mayweather reportedly banked upwards of $275 million, while McGregor cleared well over $100 million. The fight proved that an unconventional, cross-discipline clash could out-earn traditional world championship bouts by multiples.
Where Both Fighters Stand Today
The passage of time has substantially changed the circumstances surrounding both men.
Mayweather has not contested a sanctioned professional bout since that August evening. Instead, he pioneered a lucrative “exhibition” circuit. Traveling from Tokyo to Miami and Dubai, he has traded punches with kickboxing prodigy Tenshin Nasukawa, social media personality Logan Paul, British YouTuber Deji, and mob heir-turned-boxer John Gotti III. These appearances allow Mayweather to collect tens of millions of dollars without putting his pristine 50-0 record at risk against top-tier contenders.
McGregor’s path has been significantly more tumultuous. Injuries, extended layoffs, and uneven results in the Octagon—most notably back-to-back losses to Dustin Poirier in 2021, the latter resulting in a severe leg fracture—slowed his once-relentless competitive schedule. While McGregor expanded his business empire outside the cage, his active combat presence dwindled. Nevertheless, his name remains the single biggest pay-per-view draw in mixed martial arts history. Every time he hints at a return, whether inside the cage or within the squared circle, the sports world stops to listen.
The Logistical and Contractual Roadblocks
While Mayweather is his own boss under the banner of Mayweather Promotions, McGregor remains tethered to the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). This single factor is the primary hurdle standing in the way of any prospective rematch.
In 2017, UFC President Dana White and ownership group Endeavor agreed to co-promote the fight, recognizing that the sheer volume of money on the table was too massive to ignore. Since then, however, UFC management has taken a far more guarded approach to allowing contracted fighters to cross over into traditional boxing rings.
For a rematch to take place, one of three scenarios must play out:
- A Co-Promotional Agreement: The UFC signs off on a joint venture, taking a substantial cut of the broadcast rights and gate, repeating the 2017 operational model.
- Contractual Expiration: McGregor fights out the remaining bouts on his active UFC deal, becoming a true free agent who can negotiate directly with boxing promoters and sovereign wealth funds without corporate gatekeepers.
- Zuffa Boxing Integration: The UFC acts as the sole lead promoter, leveraging its production infrastructure to stage the bout on its own terms.
Beyond the corporate maneuvering, the format of the fight itself presents an intriguing debate. Would the contest be sanctioned as a professional bout, allowing Mayweather to put his 50-0 ledger on the line once more? Or would it be structured as an exhibition—an eight-round showcase with modified regulations that emphasizes spectacle over stakes? Mayweather’s recent career suggests an exhibition is far more palatable to his camp, while McGregor has consistently expressed a desire to formally avenge his defeat under official rules.
The Public Appetite: Nostalgia vs. Spectacle
Inevitably, purists will ask whether the sporting world needs another installment. The initial novelty of an elite MMA fighter stepping into the domain of an all-time boxing defensive master cannot be recreated. We know how Mayweather fights, we know McGregor’s technical limitations in pure pugilism, and both men are older than they were during the first world tour.
Yet combat sports thrives on personality and theatricality. The tension between Mayweather’s calculated defensive wizardry and McGregor’s volatile, southpaw power still possesses commercial magnetism. Even as an exhibition, Mayweather vs. McGregor II would likely outstrip almost every standard championship boxing match in global viewership, international sponsorship, and digital engagement.
Mayweather’s public comments indicate that he is not dwelling on personal animosities. For him, combat has always been an equation of risk versus return. If promoters can align the schedules, secure the necessary broadcast partnerships, and satisfy the UFC’s ledger, the world may well see “Money” and “The Notorious” touch gloves once more under the bright lights of Las Vegas.
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