Ellerbe Confident: Mayweather-McGregor Ends in KO, Likely Early

As previously reported on BoxingScene.com, Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Conor McGregor got their wish to fight in smaller gloves, but not before being chastised by a Nevada boxing official for using the issue to hype their fight later this month.

Nevada boxing regulators on Wednesday gave the two fighters an exemption to a rule requiring 10-ounce gloves for fights at 154 pounds, approving 8-ounce gloves for the Aug. 26 bout. Representatives of both fighters appeared before the Nevada State Athletic Commission to request the waiver.

Commissioners also approved veteran referee Robert Byrd as the third man in the ring for the fight.

Commission Chairman Anthony Marnell said he was comfortable with the fighters using smaller gloves, but unhappy that they used the issue to sell the fight on social media.

“My biggest concern about this consideration or this request that is being made is that I do not like the Nevada State Athletic Commission being used as a pawn in a social media bout between these two,” Marnell said. “That part of this request, it pisses me off, I’ll be really, really honest with you. I respect the fact that you missed this and you admitted that in your testimony, that you may have missed this subject when you guys put this bout agreement together.

“But this body is not the subject of two fighters who want to go back and forth like these two have at each other to create social media stir and another controversy for attention to sell tickets [and] to sell DirecTV. However, in saying that, I would like to put that aside and I would just caution going forward that this body, this forum, not be used for that again.”

Under Nevada regulations, 10-ounce gloves are required in fights above 147 pounds and the bout is set for 154 pounds. But Mayweather has worn 8-ounce gloves most of his career, and McGregor has worn 4-ounce gloves in his UFC fights.

Mayweather's promoter, Leonard Ellerbe, said his fighter is more comfortable in smaller gloves and would use them to stop McGregor.

"The fight is going to end in a knockout, I'm very confident," Ellerbe said. "And it will probably be early."