Mayweather confirms McGregor bout is on for Aug. 26 in Las Vegas
"It's official!"
Those words were all Floyd Mayweather needed to confirm he will indeed be sharing the ring with Conor McGregor on Aug. 26 in Las Vegas. Kevin Iole of Yahoo Sports broke the news minutes prior to the boxer's confirmation.
Related - Report: Mayweather-McGregor set for Aug. 26 in Las Vegas
The Nevada State Athletic Commission approved Mayweather Promotions' request to hold a boxing card at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on the above-mentioned date, although the nearby T-Mobile Arena is also reportedly in the running to house the blockbuster bout, even with the BIG3 championship already booked for the same day.
The pay-per-view bill will contain solely boxing matches, and will be distributed by Showtime.
Mayweather has already opened as a -1100 favorite over a boxing neophyte in McGregor, a +700 underdog.
Related: Mayweather opens as overwhelming favorite for bout vs. McGregor
McGregor essentially willed the bout into existence, as his incessant callouts had turned into a war of words between he and Mayweather by summer's end. Cut to last month, UFC president Dana White revealed the promotion and McGregor had reached an agreement for their end of the megafight, effectively putting the ball in Mayweather and Co.'s court. It took some doing, but the pugilist met the Irishman halfway.
A four-division world champion, Mayweather ends a retirement dating back to September 2015 in pursuit of his 50th career win. The 40-year-old hung up his gloves after outpointing Andre Berto to improve his record to a perfect 49-0.
McGregor, on the other hand, will make his boxing debut after becoming the UFC's first fighter to simultaneously reign over two divisions last November. "The Notorious" accomplished the feat at Eddie Alvarez's expense at UFC 205, where he added the promotion's lightweight strap to a trophy case already including the 145-pound title. McGregor will make his first walk to the ring with a professional MMA record of 21-3, with 18 victories by way of knockout.