Conor McGregor continues to be one of the most attractive opponents both among MMA fighters and among representatives of martial arts in general. The other day, he was challenged by ex-world boxing champion in five weight categories, Floyd Mayweather Jr. The American turned to the Irishman with a proposal to hold a rematch according to the rules of boxing. The previous match between the athletes took place in August 2017 and ended with the defeat of the Irishman in the tenth round.
“If I’m not mistaken, didn’t you tell Mike Tyson that you will defeat me if we fight for the second time? Now you are ending your career! I thought you want to beat the best? Well, if you decide to return, I will wait to re-teach you a lesson, ”Mayweather wrote on Instagram.
It is noteworthy that the message of the American was left under the post of the Irishman, in which he confirmed his intention to hang gloves on a nail. Over the past four years, McGregor announced his retirement for the third time, which this time was mistrusted. Earlier, the fighter already used a similar technique not only to attract attention, but also to achieve more favorable conditions in negotiations with the UFC.
So, in 2016, this helped Conor to become the first representative of the Absolute Fighting Championship, who received a fee of $ 3 million for the fight, not counting the percentage of the sale of paid broadcasts and other bonuses. Given the fact that in the previous battle he earned three times less, the threat of leaving the sport paid off in full.
It is likely that he decided to use a similar technique this time. The Irishman named the absence of serious challenges as the main reason, hinting that the promotion is not ready to arrange for him to meet with top opponents. It’s no secret that for McGregor is the reigning lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, but that fall he will have to defend his belt in a fight with Justin Gatji. At the same time, Conor had a great chance to become a contender, but he refused to replace the Russian and fight with Tony Ferguson.
Also, the Irishman went unnoticed the proposal for a duel made by the champion of the welterweight division Kamaru Usman. At the same time, the promotion did not express readiness to organize a battle between the Irish and the legendary Anderson Silva. Apparently, Dana White and the company do not consider her financially attractive enough, therefore they do not intend to indulge the star and organize a fight that has no tournament significance.
It is worth noting that the behavior of McGregor is largely reminiscent of how one of his idols in the person of Muhammad Ali behaved. The legendary boxer has repeatedly announced his retirement from the sport, but each time he took his words back. Thanks to this, he not only remained one of the most discussed athletes in the world, but also created a reserve for a loud return.
At the moment, we can safely assume that McGregor will follow the example of Ali and will not leave the world of martial arts. However, there is a risk that he will again prefer money to inheritance and agree to a return match with Mayweather according to boxing rules. However, in 2020, this battle does not make any sense to him from a sporting point of view, and is also much less attractive to fans.
In 2017, the duel between the Irish and the American became one of the main events of the year in martial arts and caused great excitement. Then absolutely all the factors necessary for organizing such an event came together - the public’s interest, the crazy popularity of the athletes, their champion status, and also intrigue.
In case of victory, McGregor elevated himself to the status of the strongest fighter of our time regardless of the sport and got the opportunity to compete for the title of the greatest in history with the same Ali. However, a miracle did not happen, and the boxer more than confidently figured out an opponent on his territory.
Three years later, this battle has already lost relevance. McGregor lost his featherweight and lightweight titles, suffered a heavy defeat from Nurmagomedov and began to appear more often on social networks than in a cage. Yes, he still remains the most popular and financially successful MMA fighter, but is hardly considered among the greatest representatives of mixed martial arts. Recent results, coupled with long intervals between fights, seriously spoiled his reputation.
As for Mayweather, he even completed his career. Success in the battle with the Irishman became the 50th in a row for him and allowed him to surpass the record of the legendary Rocky Marciano, after which the American announced with good conscience his resignation. Over the past couple of years, he was remembered except for the beating of kickboxer Tensin Natsukawa in an exhibition battle, and a number of high-profile statements. In particular, he seriously discussed holding a rematch with Manny Pacquiao and a duel with Nurmagomedov according to boxing rules. But all this remained at the level of conversation.
Despite the fact that the upcoming battle is practically devoid of a sports component, a high-profile poster will certainly allow for the second time in a row to fill the T-Mobile arena in Las Vegas. Especially in the context that boxing fans are eagerly awaiting the return of Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield to the ring. But the level of hype will not be comparable to what it was in 2017. You must also understand that this event is primarily beneficial to Mayweather, while for McGregor it can only mean one thing - the decline of a career in MMA.
Floyd can get another big fee and replenish an already huge fortune. But if the 43-year-old boxer no longer had any motivation other than money, then Conor is in a different position. He is still able to reanimate his career in mixed martial arts, and if you do not become one of the greatest fighters in history, then at least get closer to this status. Now he is at risk of wasting valuable time and virtually eliminating the chances of a successful comeback.
It is enough to recall how hard McGregor returned to mixed martial arts after the first fight with Mayweather and how unconvincing he looked in the battle with Nurmagomedov. It should be assumed that this was partly due to the transition to boxing, for which the Irishman had to seriously reconsider his approach to training. For a long time, he was forced to actually forget about wrestling and working in the stalls, seriously adjust his legs and learn how to distribute his strength in such a way as to be ready to hold a 36-minute, not a 25-minute match.
Thus, for the resumption of performances in MMA, it will not be enough for an Irishman to simply get the optimal conditions and spend a couple of sparring. He will be forced to rebuild again, which may take some time. Due to a possible revenge with Floyd, a new battle of Conor in MMA will take place no earlier than 2021. Then McGregor will be at least 32 years old, which is a solid age for light weight categories.
At the same time, even a victory over Mayweather will not bring McGregor the same dividends as in 2017. If then the American was an active athlete and remained in good shape, then over the past three years he could not fail. Firstly, the lack of practice should affect, and secondly, age cannot but take its toll. Yes, it is likely that Floyd and now remains the strongest welterweight in history and in case of return is able to take the belt again. But it is unlikely that he is able to compare himself with a sample of at least five years ago.