McGregor says he’s signed contract to fight Mayweather

LOS ANGELES, USA – Mixed martial arts champion Conor McGregor told TheMacLife.com that he has signed a contract to face Floyd Mayweather Jr in the boxing ring.

McGregor’s signature represents the most significant step yet in the negotiations to make the so-called “Billion-Dollar Fight” a reality, after speculations first spread a year ago.

In a statement issued to TheMacLife.com, McGregor confirmed that his part of the deal has been sealed.

“It is an honor to sign this record-breaking deal alongside my partners Zuffa LLC, the Ultimate Fighting Championship, and Paradigm Sports Management,” McGregor said.

“The first and most important part of this historic contract has now officially been signed off on. Congratulations to all parties involved. We now await Al Haymon and his boxer’s signature in the coming days.”

UFC president Dana White said last weekend that he was hoping to tie up a deal with McGregor before advancing negotiations with Mayweather.

With McGregor’s deal now officially in place, it’s now up to Mayweather and his adviser, Haymon, to finalize what is expected to be one of the most lucrative events in sporting history.

Speculations intensified last November when McGregor won his second UFC title in Madison Square Garden, an historic fight which underlined the Irishman’s status as the biggest MMA star.

Both McGregor and Mayweather have openly courted the match-up in the media in recent months.

Last March, Mayweather called on McGregor to sign a contract “if he really wants to fight.”

UFC 205, which was headlined by McGregor’s lightweight title victory over Eddie Alvarez, is understood to have sold in the region of 1.3 million pay-per-views and garnered a venue record live gate of $17.7 million – numbers which outperformed the top boxing events in 2016.

McGregor’s last 4 fights, which all took place within a 12-month period, have consecutively broken the one-million pay-per-view benchmark, including UFC 202 which established a new UFC record buy-rate north of 1.7 million PPV purchases. – with reports from Agence France-Presse/Rappler.com