By Edward Chaykovsky
HBO's broadcast analyst Max Kellerman admits that he would be a very interested observer if a deal was finalized for the continuously hyped cross-sports boxing match between retired five division champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. and UFC superstar Conor McGregor.
Mayweather vs. McGregor, for better or worse, is one of the stories the continues to generate a ton of headlines in boxing, MMA and beyond.
The two athletes have been calling each other for at least a year, and now it's come down to the moment of truth where the two of them are either going to reach an agreement or move on.
Mayweather retired from boxing in September of 2015.
A few weeks ago, Mayweather announced that he was officially coming out of retirement - but only for a fight with McGregor.
Kellerman believes Mayweather is 100% serious about his promise to return to a boxing ring - if McGregor is the fighter in the opposite corner.
“Yes. It’s an issue of money. Here, Mayweather’s M.O. has been to maximize reward and minimize risk. It’s a business strategy. And what could be lower risk than McGregor for more reward?” Kellerman told The Los Angeles Times.
“From McGregor’s point of view, where can he make more money than fighting Floyd? Of course he’s certain to lose in a boxing ring, but, so what? He’s not a boxer.”
The biggest obstacle is McGregor's exclusive contract with the UFC.
There are many who believe that the UFC would never allow their biggest star to enter a boxing ring for a fight that many industry experts are predicting will be an extremely one-sided affair.
Kellerman disagrees. He believes the UFC would entertain this opportunity, because the even will create headlines all over the world - and in turn promote the UFC's brand all over the world in the process.
Even if McGregor is completely outclassed from start to finish, Kellerman views that outcome as being irrelevant in the overall scope of the business goals for both sides, and feels that it won't damage the UFC or hurt McGregor's status as a top UFC fighter.
“It’s a huge pay day for Conor, and it increases brand awareness because it’s a global event. He’s not a boxer,” Kellerman said. “We all know … Floyd would have zero percent chance in an octagon to beat Conor McGregor. Conor has zero percent chance in the ring to beat Floyd. And there’s no such thing as a hexagon where you can split the difference.
“So why in a boxing ring? Floyd can generate more money. He’s the bigger draw and is not under a labor contract. … He’s an independent contractor. He can keep more money and can therefore offer Conor more money than anybody else. The global event raises awareness, and if Conor loses, who cares? It’s like LeBron James not being able to hit Clayton Kershaw’s fastball. No kidding; he’s not a baseball player.”