UFC Prez: I Almost Feel Like I Have To Make Mayweather-McGregor!

As previously reported on BoxingScene.com, UFC superstar Conor McGregor has started specific training for a proposed super fight with former five division world champion Floyd Mayweather.

The fight has still to be confirmed, but McGregor's trainer John Kavanagh revealed he has the MMA champion back at work and training on his boxing skills.

"In my mind, it's on," Kavanagh told FOX Sports of the fight. "That's the mentality we're in. Like you said, there's a lot of fingers in the pie on this one. There's different promotions, different organisations, different commissions that are involved but as far as I'm concerned, I really believe it's going to happen this year. That's the mindset I have. Let the people in the suits worry about the paperwork. We're training for it."

Hurdles blocking the fight continue to be overcome.

McGregor has been granted permission to apply for a boxing licence in Nevada because he has now paid a fine for a UFC press conference clash with Nate Diaz.

Kavanagh welcomed the chance to work on boxing specifics in a quest to hand the retired Mayweather his first defeat in 50 fights.

"Boxing is one of the 10 skills you need for mixed martial arts," Kavanagh told FOX Sports. "But now we're only doing boxing so we can drop wrestling and jiu-jitsu and Thai boxing, we can just focus on the boxing. So of course we're getting ready to fight arguably one of the best defensive boxers of all time, but the training will become simplified cause we only have to do boxing - so it's a new challenge I'm excited about."

McGregor's UFC contract remained the big stumbling block to a fight that could be the richest in history.

But now UFC president Dana White is becoming more eager to make that fight happen - but also warns that Mayweather-McGregor would be the final cross-sports fight.

“This kid [McGregor] steps up. He’ll fight anybody, anywhere, anytime. A lot of people say it, very few really mean it. Conor McGregor, I call him the unicorn. I’ve never dealt with a kid like this,” White explained when speaking to “The Herd” on Wednesday.

“So for him to have this kind of opportunity, to make this kind of money, this type of a fight that people are so interested in worldwide, I almost feel like I have to make it. It’s a fight that people do want to see. It’s intriguing and obviously it’s a fight that Conor wants because financially it’s going to be massive for him. McGregor, he’s a guy that I have a lot of respect for.

“This guy has stepped up at times when people were at his level would never step up. I’ve said this a million times and I’ll say it again — I’m the guy standing in the living room, I’m the guy on the phone when these guys are looking down the barrel of a new opponent a week before the fight and Conor McGregor doesn’t flinch.

“It’s an intriguing fight. It really is intriguing. If you break the thing down and listen everybody has their opinions and I’m not saying who’s going to win or lose, but Floyd’s 40 years old. Conor’s 27 [years old]. Floyd has trouble with southpaws, Conor is a southpaw. Conor has knockout power in both hands and Floyd does not. So it’s an intriguing fight.”

White also made it clear that he will not entertain contests such as Jimi Manuwa vs. David Haye or Roy Jones Jr. vs. Anderson Silva - fighters who have recently been calling each other out for cross-sports showdowns in a boxing ring.

“No, I don’t like the idea of it opening up a bunch of different crossover fights,” White told “Russillo and Kanell” on Wednesday. “But this thing [with Mayweather-McGregor] has been talked about, it’s so big. It’s all everybody wants to talk about. Now my guys are saying they want to fight that guy and other boxers saying they want to fight this guy. This is going to be a one and done.”