Back in 2017, Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor faced off in one of the most anticipated fights we’ve ever seen. Mayweather got the better of McGregor, winning the bout in ten rounds. The victory moved Mayweather’s official fight record to 50-0. And it’s stayed there ever since, despite rumors of a rematch for five years. During that time, Mayweather has participated in a trio of exhibition matches, but no other fights. Instead, he’s pursued other interests, such as amassing an impressive real estate portfolio.
Well, fans of both fighters may get the rematch they want to see. McGregor recently shared an Instagram post from their first fight with the simple caption “I accept.”
The last time these two fought, it was the second-highest pay-per-view in fighting history, bringing in about 4.3 million viewers and generating around $800 million in total revenue. This time around, it could prove to be even more lucrative — up to $1 billion.
Floyd Mayweather (L) and Conor McGregor. (Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
The first fight was a new foray for McGregor. He switched from the MMA cage to the boxing ring. Thanks to the hype around the fight, the enormous amount of PPV buys, and both men’s personal brands, McGregor earned an estimated $100 million in guarantees, merchandise royalties, concession sales, and bonuses. After taxes, he likely took home about $50 million.
Round one was even more lucrative for Mayweather. He made $300 million from the fight, even selling advertising on his gear. Since he’s a Nevada resident, he didn’t pay any state taxes, though he did owe the IRS $22 million in back taxes. Accounting for those payments, Mayweather’s take-home pay was about $160 million.
Should the two tap gloves again, they’ll likely both earn more money. Mayweather reportedly offered $157.9 million to McGregor for a rematch, calling the fight “easy work, easy money.” And if this rematch tops the $1 billion mark, Mayweather would likely net somewhere in the $400 to $450 million range in pre-tax earnings.
But perhaps the fighters shouldn’t get TOO excited. UFC President Dana White has disputed the validity of this rematch. And McGregor will need to shed quite a bit of weight after a leg injury. He reportedly weighs about 190 pounds, with the target weight for the fight being 155 pounds.
Still, if all the training and details can come together, we could witness the most lucrative matchup in fighting history.