Conor McGregor v Floyd Mayweather 2 – everything we know so far

Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather’s boxing bout was so lucrative for the pair – both financially and in terms of the attention it granted them – that it’s no surprise to see progress being made over a rematch.

However, unlike the first meeting between the pair, which Mayweather won by TKO in the 10th round, the second bout will see the pair face off in the Octagon.

The UFC was reportedly ready to announce the meeting before former two-weight champ McGregor was involved in a fracas ahead of UFC 223, an incident which left him in hot water with authorities in New York.

However, supposed details of the new fight have leaked, and it might best be described as ‘MMA with a few caveats’ or ‘Boxing Plus’.

While McGregor had fought as an amateur boxer (admittedly several years) before entering the ring with undefeated champ Mayweather, the American’s experience of mixed martial arts is far more limited.

According to Omar Al Raisi, editor-in-chief of UAE-based publication The Sports Journal and founder of sports management group Dantani, the fight will take place in the 155lb division.

This is equivalent to the UFC’s lightweight division, where McGregor became champion in 2016 after defeating Eddie Alvarez, only to later be stripped of his title for inactivity.

However, as Al Raisi explains, there are a few rule changes which will make it incomparable to official UFC bouts, not least bans on kicks and take downs.

Al Raisi adds that McGregor will be a co-promoter on the bout, which suggests he would be in line for another very healthy pay-day.

McGregor claimed to have made $100m from the first bout, while Mayweather is thought to have taken home substantially more than his Irish opponent - some estimates are that he took home as much as $300m.

The suggestions about the makeup of the fight have been met with confusion and some doubts from fight fans.

Many are well aware of how quickly things change in the sport, but more than a few are questioning how different this would really be from a regular boxing match.

There has been no official confirmation from McGregor, Mayweather or the UFC at this stage, of course, so plenty of fans are hoping the source of the above information is wide of the mark.

There is some logic to it, though, as Mayweather’s sway would surely allow him to dictate terms for any meeting away from his usual comfort zone.

Naturally,  as yet there’s no talk yet on a potential date for the second clash; however, first time round it was a pretty swift sequence of events, with the fight announced on 14 June 2017 and the bout taking place just over two months later, on 26 August.

Stay tuned, and we’ll see what develops.

(Images: Getty)