Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor 2: Chances Rematch Happens After UFC Star 'Retires'

Conor McGregor announced his retirement from fighting Sunday morning, though it should probably be taken with a grain of salt. UFC’s biggest star made the same proclamation in both 2016 and 2019 before returning to the octagon shortly afterward.

Real or not, McGregor’s latest announcement sparked a reaction from Floyd Mayweather. The boxer, who actually is retired, challenged the MMA fighter to a second bout.

Mayweather last stepped inside the ring on Aug. 26, 2017 when he faced McGregor. The MMA star made the jump to boxing for the biggest bout of his career.

Not surprisingly, Mayweather handled McGregor with ease, winning with a 10th-round TKO. The fight generated 4.3 million pay-per-view buys, making it the second-best-selling card in history.

McGregor has headlined most of the highest-selling UFC PPVs. His biggest MMA fight generated only a little more than half of the buys as his one boxing match. It’s been estimated that McGregor earned nearly $100 million for the fight, while Mayweather reportedly made close to $300 million.

It’s that kind of payday that makes a rematch between McGregor and Mayweather at least possible.

Will McGregor-Mayweather 2 happen at some point in the near future? The betting odds suggest it remains unlikely.

BetOnline has set the odds at -500 that the two fighters won’t meet in 2020 or 2021. The odds of McGregor and Mayweather facing off during the next 18 months are +300.

The odds of Mcgregor’s next fight being a boxing match are +325. UFC is the odds-on favorite to host McGregor’s next bout with -105 odds.

It was just one month ago that McGregor told UFC president Dana White that he wanted to fight this summer. He said he wanted to fight UFC legend Anderson Silva a few weeks ago.

McGregor’s retirement ploy is likely a negotiation tactic for his next UFC fight. The 31-year-old needed just 40 seconds to knock out Donald Cerrone at UFC 246 on Jan. 18.

Mayweather hasn’t fought an actual boxer since he defeated Andre Berto on Sept. 12, 2015. Mayweather improved his career record to a perfect 50-0 when he defeated McGregor.