UFC superstar Conor McGregor has officially been granted a professional boxing license in the state of California, which is sure to renew speculation about a possible mega-fight with one of the ‘sweet science’s’ biggest ever stars, Floyd Mayweather Jr.
“He got a license today and a federal ID,” California State Athletic Commission executive officer Andy Foster told MMAFighting.com. “He’s a California boxer now.”
“He’s qualified [as a boxer],” Foster said. “I’d love to see him fight in California. It just needs to be the right opponent. Certainly a high-level opponent. We’re happy to license him. We’re happy he’s a California fighter.”
However, before anyone gets too excited, Team Mayweather’s Leonard Ellerbe points out the obvious elephant in the room – the fact that McGregor is still signed to the UFC.
“He got a boxing licence,” ellerbe told ESPN. “Congratulations to him. Conor McGregor can say anything he wants to but he has a boss and his name is Dana White. He is under contract to the UFC and if he wanted to fight Floyd Mayweather in a boxing match he can’t because his bosses wouldn’t allow that to happen … because everyone knows what the outcome would be. He would get his ass beat from pillar to post.”
News of McGregor’s boxing license comes just days after the UFC took the Irishman’s featherweight title back off him due to his lack of activity in the division since defeating Jose Aldo to win the belt back in December of last year.
With that in mind, this may well just be another power play from McGregor, reminding the UFC that if they don’t play ball he might stick around when his contract with them does eventually come to an end.
It’s also an easy way to continue to generate hype surrounding the fighter during his current hiatus from the sport as he awaits the birth of his first child in May of 2017.
