The UFC has been the biggest hurdle keeping the Floyd Mayweather-Conor McGregor fight from happening: McGregor is under contract with the UFC, and UFC President Dana White seemed not to keen on letting his biggest star go on a multi-million dollar sabbatical in the boxing ring without sharing in the prize. Now, it seems White has changed his tune.
In an interview with TMZ Sports, White was asked about the likelihood of Mayweather-McGregor happening.
"It doesn’t make a lot of sense for my business," White said, "but I would never keep Conor from making that kind of money."
While seemingly a simple statement, White’s words speak volumes about the UFC’s position on McGregor stepping into the boxing ring with Mayweather. Without the UFC’s approval, the fight would never happen — unless McGregor challenged the MMA promotion in court, which would be a lengthy process that would hurt the brand of both involved parties.
White had previously stated that the fight will never happen, going so far to say that McGregor choosing to act without their consent would lead to "an epic fall". It appears that the UFC president has changed his mind. Whether the UFC can be involved in a Mayweather-McGregor boxing match, or if he simply recognizes the risk involved in starting a legal feud with the UFC’s biggest star, White appears willing to let the fight happen.
Of course, this is no guarantee that Mayweather and McGregor will fight: White did not delve into details about the UFC’s position, and Mayweather and McGregor would still have to come to financial terms, which could present a number of roadblocks. But once again, a piece of information has come out and proved that the once laughed-at boxing super-fight is inching closer to becoming a reality.