UFC president Dana White is suddenly optimistic a proposed boxing match between Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor will in fact take place. White said a deal is not yet in place for the potentially lucrative event, but he suggested it might only be a matter of time.
"I do think it's going to happen," White said. "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 make it tougher. [But] on the flip side, there's so much money involved, I just don't see how it doesn't happen."
Before Wednesday, White had been mostly dismissive of the mega-fight. In January, he promised an "epic fall" for McGregor, should the Irish star attempt to box without the UFC's permission. McGregor, 28, is the UFC's lightweight champion and remains under exclusive contract.
White also compared chances of the fight happening to him backing up New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady in the Super Bowl. He has repeatedly referenced how long it took Mayweather to agree to fight Manny Pacquiao, saying it would take even longer for Mayweather to agree to terms with McGregor.
The fantasy matchup seemingly continued to inch forward, however. McGregor is currently in the process of settling a legal matter with the Nevada State Athletic Commission, after which he is expected to apply for a boxing license.
"A lot of things make this fight intriguing," White said. "Conor McGregor is huge. He's in the prime of his career. Floyd is 40. Floyd has always had problems with southpaws; Conor is a southpaw, and Conor hits hard. When he hits people, they go. Floyd is definitely not knocking him out. That's for sure. I'm not saying Conor would win this boxing match, but it sure makes it interesting."
Mayweather, who retired in 2015 with a professional record of 49-0, recently announced he'd officially come out of retirement to box McGregor. On Wednesday, White shot down reports the fight has been targeted for June 10 inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. McGregor is currently taking a break as he expects the birth of his first child in May.
