Not for the first time, preparations for Floyd Mayweather?s upcoming super-fight against Conor McGregor have been thrown confusion, after the American boxer attempted to instigate a late rule change to the bout using his Instagram page.
The two met are set to meet on August 26 at the junior-middleweight weight limit of 154-pounds, which means that 10oz boxing gloves are mandatory, as per Nevada State Athletic Commission rules.
However, on Tuesday evening Mayweather took to social media and made an interesting offer: ?I?m telling McGregor, ?let?s fight in 8oz gloves??, he wrote on his Instagram page.
But why would Mayweather ? who hasn?t knocked out an opponent since Victor Ortiz in 2011 and has admitted to suffering from ?brittle fists? ? want to fight in lighter gloves, something which would appear to favour McGregor?
And what are the Nevada State Athletic Commissions actual rules on the topic?
Here, we attempt to clear up some of the confusion. What did Mayweather propose?
In his typically understated fashion, Mayweather pictured a plain black image with ?MCGREGOR? LET?S FIGHT IN 8 OZ GLOVES? written on it in large white lettering.
The caption underneath read:
Don’t believe what you hear in the media. Don’t believe what you hear on blog sites. If it’s not coming directly from me, then it’s not true.
I’m telling McGregor, “Let’s fight in 8 oz gloves”.
McGregor can fight in any brand he prefers or chooses. I’ll be wearing 8 oz Grant gloves.
Whatever advantage McGregor needs to feel more comfortable in the ring, I’m willing to accommodate. Let’s give the boxing and MMA fans what they want to see.
So, in a nutshell, Mayweather wants to scrap the original plan to wear 10oz gloves so that both men can wear lighter 8oz gloves, instead. Why is that unusual?
It?s unusual because it was widely assumed that the fight was taking place at the super-middleweight limit ? slightly heavier than Mayweather?s ideal weight ? precisely because he wanted to fight in the larger 10 oz gloves.
But keen boxing fans will have been most surprised by the third paragraph of the short statement: ?McGregor can fight in any brand he prefers or chooses. I’ll be wearing 8 oz Grant gloves.?
Assuming the statement is not all an elaborate ruse, that admission represents a remarkable change of approach from Mayweather, who is known for being one of the best prepared (some might even say neurotic) boxers in the business.
The build-up to the Manny Pacquiao fight, for example, was dominated by arguments over what type of gloves would be used, with Mayweather?s representatives controversially contesting the use of Pacquiao’s preferred Reyes-manufactured boxing gloves shortly after the weigh-in. What has McGregor said on the topic?
The Irishman has repeatedly criticised his opponent for his many stipulations on what gloves will be used. In Los Angeles, on the first leg of their promotional tour, he said: Mayweather vs McGregor: From trash-talk to super-fight
1/18 From trash-talk to super-fight
Just how did an appearance on late-night show Conan and a rumbling Twitter feud turn into the biggest fight the sport of boxing has ever known.
Here, we tell the story of how the trash-talk turned into a super-fight.
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2/18 McGregor appears on Conan
?If you?re asking would I like to fight Floyd Mayweather, I mean, who would not like to dance around the ring for $180m?? McGregor replied to a playful question from late-night host Conan O?Brien, in July 2015, on whether he would ever be tempted into switching sports.
?I would certainly box him if the opportunity arose,? he smiled.
?Most certainly.?
3/18 Mayweather’s observation
Mayweather then rekindled the speculation, that December. In an interview with FightHype on the worldwide adulation McGregor had received for knocking out Aldo in just 13 seconds, the American complained that he would never receive such acclaim from the public because of the colour of his skin.
?They say he talk a lot of trash and people praise him for it, but when I did it, they say I?m cocky and arrogant,? Mayweather observed.
?So biased! Like I said before, all I’m saying is this, I ain’t racist at all, but I’m telling you racism still exists.?
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4/18 “I am an Irishman”
This time, it didn?t take the other man the best part of half a year to respond. ?Don?t ever bring my race into my success again,? McGregor commented in a long Instagram post, the very next day.
?I am an Irishman. My people have been oppressed our entire existence. And still very much are. I understand the feeling of prejudice. It is a feeling that is deep in my blood ? If you want we can organise a fight no problem. I will give you a fair 80/20 split purse in my favour seen as your last fight bombed at every area of revenue.?
A feud was born.
5/18 McGregor ‘retires’
As interest in a fight with Mayweather began to increase, McGregor threatened to retire not just from MMA, but from sport altogether.
UFC president Dana White announced that the promotion has pulled McGregor from the main event at UFC 200, because of his refusal to participate in mandatory media duties. McGregor’s response?
“I have decided to retire young. Thanks for the cheese. Catch ya’s later.”
6/18 Scoop
Things came to a boil in May 2016. British tabloid The Sun reported that the two men were ?on the verge? of agreeing to a deal, with an unnamed source telling the paper that ?Floyd is obsessed with making Conor eat his words?.
The story attracted so much attention that Dana White, the president of the UFC, felt compelled to finally address the situation. He laughed off suggestions the super-fight would ever take place, instead pointing out that McGregor was contracted to the UFC, and would thus be in breach of contract should he attempt to organise a fight himself away from the confines of the Octagon.
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7/18 Battle of the photoshopped posters
White’s comments appeared to spur both men into action. First McGregor tweeted a mocked up fight poster with the caption ‘MMA vs Boxing’…
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8/18 Battle of the photoshopped posters
… before Mayweather responded with an effort of his own (it wasn’t quite as good).
Mayweather insisted began to insist a fight was ?possible?. Then he told a journalist that he was a retired man and would only countenance returning to professional sport in order to fight McGregor. And then he pressed the nuclear button, offering the Irishman just $50m to fight him in what people were already describing as a billion-dollar bout.
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9/18 Leonard Ellerbe puts his foot down
Hold the hype. Just as things were beginning to heat up, Mayweather?s promotions head, Leonard Ellerbe, poured cold water on the prospective fight, insisting it was ?a calculated effort by McGregor to gain more fans?.
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10/18 Mac gets personal
In an attempt to get discussions back on track, McGregor got personal.
“Call me CJ Watson!” he tweet, with a cartoon of him standing triumphantly above a knocked out Mayweather.
The caption was explosive: Mayweather was sent to prison in 2010 for the assault of his then-girlfriend. He was reportedly angry about text messages she had received from NBA star CJ Watson.
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11/18 White rebuffed
At this point in the saga the president of the UFC, Dana White, reenters the fray.
Having previously insisted that the fight was a non-starter, he suddenly proposed a deal: $25m for each fighter, with the complicated PPV splits to be patiently worked out at a later date.
“He’s a f***ing comedian,” Mayweather replied.
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12/18 In February 2017…
… McGregor arrived in Las Vegas, to much excitement.
Mayweather tweeted the following.
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13/18 Conor’s response
McGregor’s response to Mayweather’s short statement was brutal and to the point.
“I am in Las Vegas. Floyd has retired on my arrival,” he observed.
14/18 Conan’s back!
Without Conan O’Brien the biggest fight in the history of boxing would still be a daydream.
In March he invited Dana White onto his show, who said the following.
?I do think it?s gonna happen. I think it?s going to be a tough deal because obviously [there are] a lot of egos involved in this deal and a lot of people, so that always makes it tougher.
“On the flip side, there?s so much money involved. I just don?t see how it doesn?t happen.?
15/18 Conor and Conlan
McGrgor was in New York to support Belfast boxer Michael Conlan in his professional debut against Tim Ibarra in March.
But the spotlight quickly sought him out. He reminded everyone that an announcement was imminent by shouting furiously into the face of ESPN boxing reporter Dan Rafael: “I AM BOXING!”
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16/18 Fine downgraded
On March 22, an outstanding fine McGregor had with the Nevada Athletic Commission was downgraded, paving the way for the Irishman to obtain his necessary boxing license.
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17/18 McGregor confirms
On Wednesday 14 June, the fight was finally confirmed by both men.
?THE FIGHT IS ON,? McGregor posted on Twitter, along with a mocking picture of himself side-by-side with Floyd Mayweather Snr.
18/18 Mayweather confirms
?It?s official!” replied Mayweather on Instagram, along with a short promotional video confirming the involvement of Showtime.
Later on in that press conference, Mayweather retorted by shouting ?If you want 8 oz gloves, let?s put 8 oz gloves on. If you want 4 oz gloves, let?s put 4 oz gloves on.?
McGregor?s response?
?Give me 4 oz gloves then.? Why does the size of the gloves matter?
The size of the gloves matters a huge deal.
In the sport of mixed martial arts, McGregor is known and respected as one of the greatest knockout artists in the game. His pull-back left-hand counter is regarded by many pundits as the greatest strike in the sport and he has finished the vast majority of his opponents by either KO or TKO.
In the UFC, the promotion McGregor fights for, fighters wear 4 oz gloves. So McGregor?s punching power will naturally be less in the ring than it is in the Octagon.
But wearing 8 oz gloves would suit him far more than wearing 10 oz gloves, which are more than double the weight of the gloves he is accustomed to fighting in. What has the Nevada State Athletic Commission had to say?
It was initially reported that the Nevada State Athletic Commission had denied there was any possibility of the fight taking place at the junior-middleweight weight limit with both men wearing 8 oz gloves.
?These regulations are in place for the health and safety of the athletes, which is of the utmost importance to the commission,” the Nevada commission executive director Bob Bennett told ESPN on Tuesday night. ?Our regulations already outline the appropriate glove size according to contracted weight of a fight.?
However, the Nevada State Athletic Commission rules clarify that it is possible the fight can take place with 8 oz gloves.
According to the rules, “athletes (boxers/kick boxers) weighing-in up to and including 135 pounds must wear 8 oz gloves in competition, while athletes weighing-in over 135 pounds (junior welterweight class and above) must wear 10 oz gloves in competition. However, athletes weighing-in over 135 but (no) more than 147 may wear 8 oz gloves in competition if both athletes agree to do so in writing on their bout agreement (contract).?
So, the late rule change is possible should both men agree to the change in writing. What?s going to happen?
Who knows? But should the Nevada State Athletic Commission agree to the rule change, expect McGregor to bite Mayweather?s hand off. And expect the already fluctuating odds on the fight to change wildly yet again.
