McGregor, Ireland’s first UFC champion, takes on the Michigan native in a multi-million dollar boxing match on August 26.
Mayweather vs McGregor, a contest which was first mooted in May 2016, will take place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
McGregor, who has zero professional boxing experience to his name, is expected to bank over ?80m for his bout with ‘Money’ Mayweather, who came out of retirement in March.
At this moment in time, none of boxing’s governing bodies have agreed to sanction the bout, which has divided opinion in the sport.
The World Boxing Council are open to sanction ‘The Billion Dollar Fight’, which will be a 154lbs affair, and are willing to make it for their Diamond belt – a title which is reserved for the victory of historic fights.
In an interview with ESPN, WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman said: “Maybe, I don’t know. I’m not against it. Of course, this is a WBC board decision but we have to celebrate that boxing is having world attention regardless.
“Mayweather retired as champion so he was awarded the champion emeritus and we never thought he would return to boxing.
“He was great, retired a millionaire and was a great icon for the sport. Now he has decided to return and fight a mixed martial arts superstar so it is difficult to evaluate.
“When you have a Muay Thai fighter in Thailand, they make their career and then they jump into international boxing and many have been very successful.
“McGregor has been successful in MMA but in boxing rules it’s going to be a very difficult challenge for him.”
McGregor, the first fighter in UFC history told hold two titles simultaneously, has yet to confirm if he plans on returning to mixed martial arts’ elite promotion after he fights Mayweather.
UFC president Dana White believes ‘The Notorious’ will return to Octagon by year’s end, recently saying: ?I?m pretty confident.
?In the conversation that I had with him, he?s fired up for this fight and he?s excited to fight again and defend his [UFC] title by the end of the year.
