MMA star given little chance if bout with Mayweather becomes reality

An intriguing one-off collision of combat-sport kings ... or a pointless circus sideshow with little or no intrinsic value as a spectacle?

Whatever your viewpoint, the drumbeat of headlines linking retired undisputed world welterweight boxing champion Floyd Mayweather to a showdown with mixed martial arts superstar Conor McGregor suggests a money-spinning fight is edging closer.

On Tuesday, The Irish Sun, citing an anonymous source, reported the two camps had agreed to terms for a multi-million-dollar deal.

McGregor canceled an appearance in Dublin this week in order to fly to the United States to shoot an anti-bullying video as part of a deal to obtain a boxing licence from the Nevada State Athletic Commission, which later confirmed the 28-year-old had indeed arrived in Las Vegas.

The final hurdle to the fight being signed was an unidentified "third-party hold-up," the paper said.

Within hours, however, Mayweather appeared to distance himself from the reported deal, insisting he remains "happily retired".

"Let the record show, there hasn't been any deals made in regards to a fight between myself and any other fighters," Mayweather said.

"I am happily retired and enjoying life at this time. If any changes are to come, be sure that I will be the first to let the world know."

But, in a later statement, Mayweather indicated a deal was ready to be done - provided McGregor could reach an agreement with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), which owns the Irish fighter's contract, reported to be worth around $16-20 million per fight before pay-per-view earnings.

"Listen, Conor McGregor: If you really want to get this fight done ... take care of your business with the UFC and then have your people get in touch with my people," Mayweather stated.

UFC president Dana White separately told Britain's Daily Telegraph that no McGregor-Mayweather fight will happen without the organization's involvement.

"McGregor's under contract with me," White told the paper. "How would I let somebody take this guy that I built and do it without me? That would be the stupidest move in history."

ESPN mixed martial arts correspondent Brett Okamoto said McGregor's contract with the UFC - which the fighter has regularly criticized in the past - was the key obstacle to a Mayweather fight.

"There's a lot of steps these two need to take in order for us to ever see this fight," Okamoto said on ESPN.

"The most crucial is getting the sign-off of the UFC. McGregor remains under an exclusive contract with the UFC, so they need to be involved in something like this or he would potentially need to challenge them in court to get out of that contract.

"I don't think it's at that point yet."

Nevertheless, Okamoto is adamant that there is genuine desire on both sides to make a fight expected to raise several hundred million dollars if, as expected, it is able to generate between two and three million pay-per-view buys.

"There's a lot of cooks in the kitchen," Okamoto said on ESPN's Five Rounds podcast. "I don't know if that means we're going to get something to eat. But I can tell you that behind the scenes, there's real legitimate interest in this."

Others remain more skeptical, pointing out that McGregor's inexperience in the boxing ring would make him the overwhelming underdog against Mayweather, widely regarded as one of the greatest boxers in history.

Kevin Iole of Yahoo Sports told ESPN Radio it would be difficult to sanction the bout with boxing rules.

"You're talking about one of the best boxers of all time, who is 49-0, an Olympic champion, a multi-division world champion, against a person who has never had a boxing match, amateur or pro," Iole said.

"How does an athletic commission that exists to protect fighters say 'We're going to sanction that and we think that's a fair fight?'"

Iole said only a "massive amount of money" would tempt Mayweather out of retirement.

"If he got a deal that was too good to pass up, he would take it because he knows it's easy work for him and he would ride off into the sunset with another $100 million check," Iole said.

"Conor would have a puncher's chance, yes ... but the odds are overwhelmingly with Mayweather, and he would make McGregor look silly, because McGregor's not a boxer."

Ko primed for relaunch

Women's world No 1 Lydia Ko has never been more excited to kick off her LPGA season after changing her caddy, coach and clubs as she seeks her way back to the winner's circle.

The 19-year-old New Zealander headlines the Australian Open in Adelaide this week, where she aims to grab her first tournament win in seven months following a barren second half of 2016 - the first mini-slump of her stellar career.

Ko has been working with new coach Gary Gilchrist on her swing for about a month since parting ways with David Leadbetter last year.

New caddy Gary Matthews, former bagman to Sergio Garcia, will carry her new set of PXG clubs after she signed a multi-million dollar equipment deal to part ways with Callaway.

"Even though there have been a lot of changes, I don't think I have ever been this excited to come off a break in December and get back into training and into preparing for the season," Ko said at the Royal Adelaide Golf Club on Wednesday.

The two-time major champion has not tasted victory since the Marathon Classic in July and finished outside the top 40 in three of her last six LPGA starts.

Floyd Mayweather (left), who retired from boxing with a perfect 49-0 record, is considering a return to the ring to fight mixed martial arts superstar Conor McGregor. File Photos