Why Is Ffloyd Mayweather Challenging Conor Mecgregor Again

UFC ownership, boxing promoters and UFC fighters are all stakeholders in this event. Christian Petersen/Zuffa LLC/Getty Images

Mayweather vs. McGregor is a blockbuster event, and there are more than a few stakeholders involved. While the two competitors are the ones putting their lives on the line, they carry their sports' reputation into the ring with them. Because of that, it's worth discussing what they, and those around them, stand to gain or lose.

Floyd Mayweather

In theory, Mayweather has a great deal at risk in this fight. A large part of his brand is tied to his perfect record, and The Money Team is already prepping to roll out 50-0 merchandise commemorating his breaking Rocky Marciano's 62-year-old undefeated record. With that kind of record on the line, there's no pretty way to take a loss...but being felled by a 0-0 McGregor would undermine the legitimacy of his entire career.

That said, this article isn't previewing a bout involving Floyd "Records" Mayweather or Floyd "Legitimacy" Mayweather. This is Floyd "Money" Mayweather, and win or lose, he stands to live up to his nickname on August 26.

If he wins, he launches a new wave of merchandise and cashes a nine-figure check for his efforts. If he loses? His undefeated streak vanishes, but he still cashes that nine-figure check and then gets to look forward to a blockbuster rematch. Quite simply, even if Mayweather loses, he still wins.

Conor McGregor

Like Mayweather, McGregor is basically in a no-lose situation. Even if he gets steamrolled in the ring, it does little to hurt his brand in MMA circles, and he still walks away a much, much richer man. Unlike Mayweather, however, McGregor stands to gain a whole lot in victory.

In the same way Mayweather used Oscar De La Hoya as a trampoline to jump to new heights of drawing power, McGregor is looking to use Money as a launchpad for himself, only from a much higher starting point.

If McGregor pulls off the upset, he instantly becomes the biggest star in boxing, as well as MMA. He'll be called out by everyone from frustrated former champion Paulie Malignaggi to UFC contender Tony Ferguson to the winner of Canelo Alvarez vs. Gennady Golovkin. And of course, his asking price for a fight will rise tenfold.

There is little to lose for McGregor, but so, so much to gain.

The UFC

In the short-term, Mayweather vs. McGregor is a major windfall for the UFC. It loans out one of its athletes for this bout and rakes in tens of millions of dollars for an event it has no real hand in. Money for nothing, essentially.

There are, however, a few different ways that this could come back to bite the UFC, and MMA as a whole.

First and foremost, if McGregor takes a lopsided, ugly loss, it will reflect poorly on the sport. It wouldn't necessarily be a devastating blow to its reputation, but with this event being marketed primarily to the most casual of fans, there will be more than a few water coolers across the nation with discussions of how "those UFC guys can't fight" the following Monday.

Second, if McGregor manages to win, there is a real chance his days as a mixed martial artist end. As stated, in victory McGregor instantly becomes the top star in boxing and will have a number of opponents lining up to face him. With the UFC committed to an oppressive pay structure, McGregor stands to make significantly more off a ho-hum boxing match than a blockbuster MMA fight, and unless that changes, there is little incentive for him to get back into the cage.

Finally, if the fight ends up being a boring affair in either direction, expect business to take a dip in both boxing and MMA in the immediate aftermath, similar to what boxing experienced following Mayweather's 2015 match with Manny Pacquiao.

Boxing

Mayweather stands to gain a lot. McGregor stands to gain a lot. The UFC stands to gain a lot. The rest of the boxing world, though? It's picking up the check for this event.

From a quantitative perspective, this bout is troublesome for boxing promoters. Shortly after this match was made official, De La Hoya (the head of Golden Boy Promotions) railed against it, likely due to the hit he stands to take from boxing fans who will be less than inclined to buy his Alvarez vs. Golovkin pay-per-view the following month. He likely isn't alone, either; that depression could stretch on for a length of time, depending on how the match goes.

From a qualitative perspective, things could end up even worse. While McGregor is an accomplished mixed martial artist, there are few ways to spin someone from another sport's walking in and defeating the greatest boxer of the last 20 years in his first match. While it's not fair, this would be a hard shot to boxing's reputation among casual fans that could linger for the foreseeable future.

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Source: https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2727596-floyd-mayweather-vs-conor-mcgregor-everything-you-need-to-know-for-megafight

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