LOS ANGELES (July 11, 2017) – Unbeaten boxing legend Floyd “Money” Mayweather and UFC star “The Notorious” Conor McGregor went face-to-face for the first time on Tuesday, in a highly anticipated press conference in front of over 11,000 fans at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles as the two global stars discussed their Saturday, August 26 showdown at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas in an event that will be produced and distributed live by SHOWTIME PPV.

The fighters posed for the first face-off of the unprecedented event that has captured the imagination of sports fans around the world. Mayweather and McGregor will meet in a super welterweight contest that serves as the first time champions from boxing and MMA will meet in a sanctioned boxing match.

The Mayweather vs. McGregor world tour will continue on to Toronto, New York City and London as the superstars deliver all the spectacle of the summer’s biggest event directly to the fans who demanded it.

Here is what the press conference participants had to say Tuesday:

FLOYD MAYWEATHER

“Everyone knows I’ve never backed down from anybody. You line them up, and I knock them down like bowling pins. On August 26, I’m knocking Conor out.

“I am guaranteeing you this. You are going out on your face or on your back. So which way do you want to go?

“Twenty one is the number. They ask me why is that the number? Because that’s how long I’ve been kicking ass. I don’t care about a ring or an octagon. Put me in there and I’m going to kick ass.

“It takes two warriors to bring an event like this together. The two biggest forces in combat sports made this happen.

“This was something that the fans wanted to see. I spoke to my team and said that the Mayweather-McGregor fight can be the biggest fight in history. That’s what we’re here to turn into reality.

“McGregor is a professional, stand-up fighter. The only loss he took was when he was on the ground. He’s a tough competitor and I’m taking him very seriously.

“Everyone knows I’ve been doing this for a long time. I’ve been here before. He’s a tough guy though and a warrior. The best must fight the best. The fans wanted this fight, me and McGregor wanted the fight. It’s going to be blood, sweat and tears on August 26.

“Training camp has been rough. I know deep in my heart that this is the last one. I’m taking care of my body and giving myself time off to allow my body to rejuvenate.

“Conor really wants to win. Extremely badly. Other fighters it usually plays out two ways. Some guys play it safe and then some like Marcos Maidana go for the kill. I think he’s the Maidana-type. He’s a heavy-hitter so I have to be cautious. It’s going to basically be a toe-to-toe battle.”

CONOR MCGREGOR

“My mind is blown. I’m absolutely honored to be here in front of you fans for this great spectacle. Somebody’s 0 has got to go.

“He’s got little legs and little hands. I’m going to knock him out inside of four rounds. Mark my words.

“I’m a young, confident, happy man. I’ve worked extremely hard for this. I’m going to embrace everything. No one can do anything to me. I’m going to have a good time.

“Floyd will be unconscious inside of four rounds. The power and ferociousness that I have, he’s never experienced it before. I don’t fear him.

“Even if he catches one of my punches with his glove, it will still hurt him. I’m like nothing he’s ever seen before.

“Twelve, three minute rounds is going to be a breeze for me. Not to take anything away from this sport, but I have no worries about going twelve rounds with Floyd.

“Floyd is the perfect motivation for me to go in and conquer the supposedly unconquerable. What more motivation could you need? This pushes me on to do these record-breaking events.”

LEONARD ELLERBE, CEO of Mayweather Promotions

“This is a great fight that the fans have demanded. That’s exactly what we’re going to give them on August 26.

“Floyd Mayweather is the undefeated, pound-for-pound king and The Best Ever. He’s here to give the fans what they wanted and that’s his huge event a memorable fight on August 26.

“Mayweather Promotions is all about giving the fans exactly what they want, and this battle between Floyd and Conor is going to deliver all of that and much more.

“This is the can’t-miss event of the summer and this crowd at STAPLES Center proves just how big it’s going to be. This whole week we’ll be bringing all the excitement of a fight week to sold out venues throughout the world.”

STEPHEN ESPINOZA, Executive VP & General Manager, SHOWTIME Sports

“Over the last several years, SHOWTIME has teamed up with MGM and Mayweather Promotions to give fans the biggest and most exciting events in sports. Record-breaking event after record breaking event. We also have a long history of MMA in SHOWTIME and are glad to be in business with UFC and Conor McGregor.

“We will be working to deliver this event to the fans in unprecedented ways. We will give you new ways to experience the preparation leading up to the fight and then fight night, like never before. We’ll bring you behind the scenes and up close and personal with the “All Access” series. Your backstage pass to this fight premieres on July 28 on SHOWTIME.

“They said this fight could never be made, they said this fight would never happen, but this fight is no surprise. 10 years ago Floyd decided to leave his promoter and become his own boss. He became his own boss and broke PPV record after PPV record. Here we are, 49-0, he’s fought 24 world champions, and never lost. Floyd Mayweather has generated 20 million PPV buys and 1.3 billion dollars in PPVs. He is by far the number one attraction in sports and entertainment. There is no one else who is even close.

“Am I surprised that this fight is happening? Especially against someone younger, bigger and stronger than he is. Not at all. This is Floyd’s plan. To put on the most exciting and spectacular events that the sports world has ever seen. That’s what August 26 will be. That’s been the plan all along. ”

DANA WHITE, President of UFC

“This is the biggest fight any of us have ever been a part of. People have just rallied behind this fight. Don’t judge a fight until the fight is over. You never know what’s going to happen, especially with a guy like Conor who hits like a truck. When he hurts someone, he puts them away.

“This is a completely full event today, not a seat left. We had to move to a bigger venue in Toronto. Barclays Center sold out and then today tickets sold out at Wembley in 10 minutes. There’s never been anything like this.

“Floyd is almost 41 years old. Conor is a young southpaw who hits hard. We’ll see how it plays out. It’s crazy to think that Conor won’t connect with him.

“Conor McGregor believes in himself like nobody I’ve ever seen before. What he thinks about, he manifests into reality. The boxing media will get to know Conor on this tour and see the mental warfare that he engages in. Then on fight night, Conor is going to try to knock Floyd out.”

RICHARD STURM, President of Sports and Entertainment, MGM Resorts International

“Thank you to all the great fight fans around the globe watching this event. We’re thrilled that this event will be held at T-Mobile Arena, the home of the biggest events in the sports and entertainment industry. In only 15 months the T-Mobile Arena has become an industry leader and home to many of the greatest entertainers and athletes in the world.

“Las Vegas and the T-Mobile Arena will be the center of the sports universe for this great spectacle when two great champions bring these two sports together for the first time. It’s going to be an absolutely electric weekend. We look forward to delivering an unforgettable experience to all the fans who travel from around the world to this great event.”

For more information visit www.SHO.com/Sports and www.mgmgrand.com, follow on Twitter @FloydMayweather, @TheNotoriousMMA, @MayweatherPromo, @UFC, @ShowtimeBoxing, @SHOSports, and @Swanson_Comm or become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MayweatherPromotions, www.Facebook.com/SHOSports andwww.Facebook.com/UFC

LAS VEGAS (July 11, 2017) – A worldwide audience will witness a one-of-a-kind sporting event when legendary boxer and pound-for-pound king Floyd “Money” Mayweather returns to the ring to battle all-time MMA great and UFC champion “The Notorious” Conor McGregor in a 12-round boxing match. The fight announcement on June 14 captured the world’s attention as fans across the globe anticipate the outcome of this once-in-a-lifetime showdown taking place Saturday, Aug. 26 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The event will be produced and distributed live by SHOWTIME PPV and promoted by Mayweather Promotions.

A 12-time world champion in five weight classes, the 40-year-old Mayweather retired undefeated in September 2015 as one of the greatest to ever step in the ring, buoyed by box office success that saw him shatter nearly all of the revenue records in the sport’s history. Now, he returns to challenge the bold, powerful and popular McGregor, whose elite striking skills put him in the record books as the first athlete to hold two UFC titles simultaneously, all while soaring to the mantle of the sport’s No. 1 PPV attraction at only 28 years old.

Mayweather and McGregor will meet in a super welterweight contest (154-pound limit), serving as the first time champions from boxing and MMA will meet in a sanctioned boxing match.

“There was only one name that could bring me out of retirement and that’s Conor McGregor,” said Mayweather. “I’m excited to give the fans what they’ve all been asking for. I always want to do something different and groundbreaking and this fight with Conor is that perfect opportunity. He’s a young, skilled and powerful guy who I’m not going to take for granted. I expect to come out victorious, but anything can happen in the ring. This is a must-see event live or on pay-per-view on August 26. The whole world will be watching Mayweather vs. McGregor.”

“This is a historic fight and will be the greatest spectacle in combat sports history,” said McGregor. “I am about to change the entire approach to fighting as it stands today. On August 26 I will shock the world. Again.”

The SHOWTIME PPV on-air team will call the action on the telecast beginning live at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT. The telecast also will be available in Spanish using secondary audio programming (SAP).

Leonard Ellerbe, CEO of Mayweather Promotions, said, “Floyd has been a trailblazer his whole career and this event proves that he is still the marquee name in the fight game. This is the kind of event that Floyd Mayweather and Mayweather Promotions are known for and we’re proud to bring this exciting night of action right to the fans. We know that Conor McGregor is a dangerous fighter who believes 100 percent that he is going to win this fight. I’m expecting to see as sharp a Floyd as always and I anticipate him doing what he always does, going in there and winning. You will not want to miss this once-in-a-generation showdown on August 26 in Las Vegas and live on SHOWTIME PPV.”

Stephen Espinoza, Executive Vice President and General Manager, SHOWTIME Sports, said, “We are proud to reunite with Floyd Mayweather, Mayweather Promotions and the MGM Grand to deliver this unprecedented global event. Never before, in the vast experience of SHOWTIME PPV which includes worldwide events featuring record-setting events with Mike Tyson, Julio Cesar Chavez and Floyd Mayweather, have we experienced a reaction like we have to Mayweather vs. McGregor. Both Floyd and Conor are trend-setting personalities who have transcended their respective sports. They carry unmatched reputations for spectacle and athleticism, and together they create a truly can’t-miss event.”

Dana White, President of UFC said, “My goal has always been to put on the greatest fights the world has ever seen, whether they take place inside an Octagon or a boxing ring. Floyd Mayweather is one of the best fighters of all-time but he has never faced someone like Conor McGregor. Throughout his UFC career, Conor has proven that he should never be underestimated and I believe this will be no different. On August 26th, we will see the biggest fight in history. The world will be watching to see if Conor can follow through on another promise and make history once more. No matter the outcome, this will be a historic night in sports and we are honored to give the fans what they have been asking for.”

Richard Sturm, president of entertainment and sports for MGM Resorts International, said, “It is an honor to have the opportunity to host the Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor fight at T-Mobile Arena, our industry’s leading venue for major sports and entertainment. Las Vegas is known for its summer heat but nothing will be hotter than this championship event on August 26.”

One of the most decorated fighters in the history of the sport, Mayweather, of Grand Rapids, Mich., and fighting out of Las Vegas, used his trademark speed, defensive prowess and ring generalship on his way to 24 triumphs over world champions during his illustrious career. Among those 24 victories are the biggest names in the sport, past and present, including Manny Pacquiao, Oscar De La Hoya, Miguel Cotto, Canelo Alvarez, Shane Mosley, Juan Manuel Marquez, Zab Judah and Arturo Gatti.

In addition to his in-ring accomplishments, Forbes, Fortune and Sports Illustrated have all named Mayweather the world’s highest paid athlete multiple times. His events amass record-breaking numbers; he has headlined four of the six highest-grossing pay-per-view events of all-time and holds the all-time record in gross pay-per-view receipts. His 2015 showdown with Pacquaio shattered the all-time pay-per-view television record with 4.6 million buys while the event grossed a staggering total of more than $600 million.

Mayweather, the only fighter to have headlined three events that each generated more than 2 million pay-per-view buys, has garnered numerous “Fighter of the Year” awards over his storied career, including five ESPY Awards and two Boxing Writers Association of America awards.

Representing his hometown of Dublin, Ireland, McGregor’s larger than life personality and devastating power have helped him become his sport’s No. 1 attraction. He became the first MMA fighter to crack Forbes highest-paid athlete list in 2016 and was even higher on the list in 2017.

He became the undisputed UFC featherweight world champion by delivering pinpoint left handed shots that quickly ended the nights of top fighters Jose Aldo and Chad Mendes. McGregor then moved up in weight for a pair of blockbuster matchups with Nate Diaz that saw him set a new mark for UFC pay-per-view buys when he defeated Diaz in the rematch last August.

After dispatching Diaz, McGregor set his sights on history as he headlined at Madison Square Garden against lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez. McGregor put on a striking clinic against Alvarez knocking him down five times before getting the second round knockout and adding the lightweight title to his featherweight world title, becoming the first UFC fighter to ever hold two belts concurrently.

# # #

About Mayweather Promotions
Appropriately based in the entertainment capital of the world, Las Vegas, NV, Mayweather Promotions was established in 2007 by former 12-time world champion and undefeated boxing icon, Floyd “Money” Mayweather. Mayweather Promotions seamlessly promotes all forms of live entertainment and has blazed its own trail to unprecedented financial success; netting in excess of $350 million while generating over $1 billion in Pay-Per-View revenues.

A well-respected organization in sports & entertainment, the company has successfully garnered attention through producing some of the largest boxing events that the sport has witnessed over the past decade. What started with one fighter has grown to 30 plus active professional boxers that include current and former world champions, Olympians, and top up and coming prospects.

Coming off the success of four consecutive sellout shows with much more to come, 2017 has proven to be a cutting-edge year for Mayweather Promotions. Mayweather Promotions seeks to maintain their global platform as they embark upon new endeavors for fans all over the world. For more information, visit Mayweatherpromotions.com and follow Mayweather Promotions on Facebook at: facebook.com/MayweatherPromotions, Twitter & Snapchat: @MayweatherPromo and Instagram: @MayweatherPromotions.

About Showtime Networks Inc.
Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CBS Corporation, owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ and FLIX®, and also offers SHOWTIME ON DEMAND®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ ON DEMAND and FLIX ON DEMAND®, and the network’s authentication service SHOWTIME ANYTIME®. Showtime Digital Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of SNI, operates the stand-alone streaming service SHOWTIME®. SHOWTIME is currently available to subscribers via cable, DBS and telco providers, and as a stand-alone streaming service through Apple®, Roku®, Amazon, Google and Samsung. Consumers can also subscribe to SHOWTIME via Hulu, YouTube TV, Sling TV, Sony PlayStation® Vue and Amazon Channels. SNI also manages Smithsonian Networks™, a joint venture between SNI and the Smithsonian Institution, which offers Smithsonian Channel™, and offers Smithsonian Earth™ through SN Digital LLC. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV®. For more information, go to www.SHO.com

About T-Mobile Arena
T-Mobile Arena, the 20,000-seat venue located on the Las Vegas Strip between New York-New York and Monte Carlo, opened April 6, 2016. The arena hosts more than 100 events annually including major headline entertainment, awards shows, UFC, boxing, basketball and other sporting events, family shows and special events. This fall T-Mobile Arena will welcome the Vegas Golden Knights, a National Hockey League expansion team and the city’s first professional sports team. The city’s newest landmark, recently named “Best New Major Concert Venue” by Pollstar Magazine, features 50 luxury suites, more than two dozen private loge boxes, complete broadcast facilities, and other specially designed exclusive hospitality offerings and fan amenities destined to create a guest experience second to none. Toshiba Plaza, an adjacent two-acre outdoor entertainment space, features performance stages, a variety of video screens and other interactive content and display areas. Industry-leading architect Populous designed T-Mobile Arena to meet the U.S. Green Building Council’s standards for LEED® Gold Certification. T-Mobile Arena is a privately funded joint venture between AEG and MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM). For more information, visit the T-Mobile Arena website at www.t-mobilearena.com.

For more information visit www.SHO.com/Sports and www.mgmgrand.com, follow on Twitter @FloydMayweather, @TheNotoriousMMA, @MayweatherPromo, @UFC, @ShowtimeBoxing, @SHOSports, and @Swanson_Comm or become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MayweatherPromotions, www.Facebook.com/SHOSports andwww.Facebook.com/UFC

By Norm Frauenheim-

Boxing loves freak shows. Always has. Always will. They get people talking. They fuel outrage, argument, insults and jokes. They also make money, which of course is the very reason for the talk, outrage, argument, insults and jokes over the Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Conor McGregor circus.

Throughout the nine to 10 days since it was announced, Mayweather-McGregor has been the question – front and center – at the pre and post fight news conferences for Andre Ward’s victory over Sergey Kovalev last Saturday.

It was there, the shiny object in the room, for the Canelo Alvarez-Gennady Golovkin press tour this week.

That, of course, is no coincidence. There’s been a lot of analysis about when the McGregor-Mayweather Vegas show will happen. August 26 is said to be good date because most people are on vacation or huddled around their overworked air conditioners. When it was announced, however, was calculated.

Doing it the day before the formal news conference for Ward-Kovalev meant easy headlines for McGregor-Mayweather on the day of the presser. Both promotional camps dismissed it. Turns out, that was about the only thing Main Events and Roc Nation agreed about throughout the contentious week.

This week, GGG called Mayweather-McGregor “a funny show.’’ Canelo said fans would know the difference between a sideshow and real fight.

Mayweather and McGregor? They loved every slight, every insult. They piggybacked on the news conferences, getting lots of free publicity off events staged and paid for by rival promoters. Main Events’ Kathy Duva, Roc Nation’s Michael Yormack and Canelo promoter Oscar De La Hoya used different words to express the same thing. They were annoyed, angry. But the circus doesn’t apologize. It just entertains.

The show figures to be as boring as just about anything pre-ordained can be. I’ve looked at all the various prop bets. One is missing. What are the odds that McGregor never lands a punch? I’m guessing maybe 15-1. Then again, Mayweather was about a 9-1 favorite to win when the fight was announced.

Since then, money has been pouring in on McGregor like Guinness out of a free-flowing tap. If you believe the tightening odds, McGregor has a chance. Other then the proverbial lucky punch, however, he doesn’t. There’s a better chance Mayweather fractures an ankle on his walk to the ring.

Put it this way: Buster Douglas had a much better chance as a 42-1 underdog at beating Mike Tyson in 1990 than McGregor will ever have against Mayweather in 2017. I know, I know. Mayweather is smaller. He is 40 years old. He hasn’t boxed in a couple of years.

Those facts will be trotted out and repeated ad nauseam in the weeks before this exhibition. But McGregor is reported to have never boxed. Never ever, yet somehow the Nevada State Athletic Commission sanctioned this show as a legitimate fight. That means it will count in Mayweather’s record. It means his official record is about to go to 50-0. Rocky Marciano finished 49-0 in 1955 with a victory over legendary Archie Moore.

I mean, Henry Aaron didn’t bypass Babe Ruth on the all-time home run list by hitting a baseball off a tee in 1974. Aaron faced real major-league pitching. But this is the circus. Only the money is real. Major league, too.

Floyd Mayweather will come out of retirement to take on two-division UFC champion Conor McGregor in a boxing match that will take place on August 26th in Las Vegas, according to Mayweather’s social media accounts.

Mayweather posted a poster, captioned by the words, “Its Official!”

The fight, which will headline a boxing card, where rumors have it that there will be at least two world title bouts, will be distributed by Showtime Pay Per View.

According to Dan Rafael, the proposed fight between Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor could have a date of August 26th at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Mayweather Promotions plans to request the date from the Nevada State Athletic Commission for the much-anticipated boxing match between Mayweather, the former longtime pound-for-pound king and heavy favorite who plans to exit a 23-month retirement for the bout, and UFC superstar Conor McGregor, a source with knowledge of the plan told ESPN on Monday.

“There are negotiations ongoing, but none of us wants to turn this into the circus that the Mayweather-[Manny] Pacquiao negotiations were, so I think it’s best if we keep all the business discussions private until the deal is done,” Showtime Sports executive vice president and general manager Stephen Espinoza told ESPN on Monday night.

By Norm Frauenheim

It’s beginning to look as if Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Conor McGregor are just a few dancing bears away from reaching an agreement on whatever it is they intend to do in June, or September or, whenever.

All of the talk is creating its own momentum. Where there’s smoke, there’s cash these days and there should be enough of the latter to ensure that the spectacle will happen.

By all accounts, it’ll be a boxing match, although there are good reasons to think it’ll turn into something else.

It’s no secret that McGregor has no boxing experience, which is another way of saying he’d have no chance against the best boxer of the last decade. McGregor knows that. If he doesn’t, he’d find out soon enough.

At the very second he discovers he’s got no shot, the guess here is that he’d kick Mayweather in the head. McGregor gets disqualified and probably fined. But what would he have to lose? He’d still bank seven, maybe eight, figures and his MMA loyalists would love the crazy moment.

Yeah, it would be outrageous. But isn’t that a reason so many people are talking about it?

After all, Mayweather-McGregor wouldn’t be about sportsmanship. We aren’t talking about a gentle game of lawn croquet here, although their respective fans might watch even that. Who knows? McGregor might pick up one of those mallets and drop Mayweather faster than Victor Ortiz.

Truth is, it’s hard to know exactly what to make of Mayweather-McGregor. Neither fish nor fowl. More like fishy and foul.

From a boxing perspective, the real problem rests with Mayweather’s pursuit of legacy. It’s not about the cash. Mayweather is better at making money than just about anybody under the big top. Money is his nickname.

He’ll be remembered more for that than even his ample boxing skill. Still, legacy is important to him. If it weren’t, he wouldn’t be selling those T-shirts and caps bearing that familiar acronym, TBE – The Best Ever.

But it would be a cheap insult to history if Mayweather were allowed to go 50-0 – one victory better than Rocky Marciano’s iconic record – against a mixed-martial artist with no boxing experience.

If Nevada or New York or any other state agency sanctioned Mayweather-McGregor as a boxing match, the result – win, lose or draw – becomes a matter of record.

There’s already precedent for that. In an internet event on pay-per-view in Phoenix a year ago, Roy Jones Jr. added a victory and knockout to his record (65-9 47 KOs) in an Arizona-sanctioned boxing match against an MMA novice, Vyron Phillips, who told the AZ commission that he had boxed as an amateur.

McGregor, of course, says he will pull off a global shocker and knock out Mayweather. What else is he going to say? Other than his MMA loyalists, however, there is no argument in any language about McGregor’s chances. It’s zero, nada, bupkis.

It would be against Manny Pacquiao in a rematch, or Timothy Bradley, or Keith Thurman, or Shawn Porter, or Danny Garcia, or Errol Spence, or Kell Brook, or Amir Khan, or Jessie Vargas. Any of them would be a truer test than McGregor could ever be.

Come to think of it, all of them and more should sign a petition and deliver it to state commissions, asking that McGregor-Mayweather not be sanctioned as a boxing match.

License it for what it is: A big money-maker, but not a history-maker.