A year after it was first mooted, the idea of a fight between UFC star Conor McGregor and boxing great Floyd Mayweather has moved a step closer to reality.
The two men have been circling each other for several months but despite the verbal jousting, there seemed little prospect of them getting into the ring together.
But now Irish mixed martial artist McGregor says he has "signed off" on a deal to fight the American and was waiting on Mayweather to agree his side of the bargain.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
UFC president Dana White, who is leading negotiations with the two men, confirmed McGregor was on board.
"The McGregor side is done," he said. "I'm starting to work on the Mayweather side now.
"I'm not saying the fight will happen, but I've got one side done… If we can come to a deal with Haymon and Mayweather, the fight's going to happen."
Persuading Mayweather to come out of retirement could be a challenge, however.
"Mayweather retired from boxing in September 2015, after equalling Rocky Marciano's unbeaten record of 49-0 and has since being involved in an ongoing war of words with McGregor on social media," reports Sky Sports.
He has previously said a bout with McGregor was "the only fight that will get me back in the ring", but he is a notoriously tough negotiator - it took almost seven years for his fight against Manny Pacquiao to materialise.
"As yet, the terms of the deal McGregor has signed are unclear," reports the Daily Telegraph.
"The fight, which would be contested strictly as a boxing match, is widely expected to be one of the richest of all time – if it happens."
Mayweather, who is now 40, has held world titles in five different weight divisions, while McGregor, who trained as a plumber before becoming a professional fighter, was the first man to hold two UFC belts simultaneously when he became lightweight champion last year.
Continue reading for free
We hope you're enjoying The Week's refreshingly open-minded journalism.
Subscribed to The Week? Register your account with the same email as your subscription.
-
How climate change is impacting sports around the worldYour favorite golf tournament or that long-awaited soccer match may look a bit different in the future
-
The Senate's nixed dress code isn't short of mixed reactions
Why Everyone's Talking About Conservatives are taking issue with the axing of a longstanding Senate tradition
-
October by-elections: what's at stake for Labour, Lib Dems and Tories
Parties will contest two former safe Tory seats on 19 October, putting pressure on Rishi Sunak
-
Mayweather vs. McGregor part II: Irish fighter wants rematch
Speed Read Dubliner vows to ‘maul’ Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 229
-
McGregor vs Mayweather: Safety fears over eight-ounce gloves
Speed Read Fighters will wear smaller, lighter gloves, despite opposition from doctors
-
Millions watched Mayweather vs McGregor via illegal online streaming
In Depth The Money Fight is thought to be the most pirated event in history
-
Why is Mayweather playing the underdog against McGregor?
Speed Read Boxing legend talks down his chances against Irish mixed martial artist after sluggish ticket sales
-
McGregor vs Mayweather circus scrapes the barrel in New York
In Depth Pre-fight promotional tour flops in the Big Apple as fighters run out of material and class
