One of the biggest risks for the UFC in allowing Conor McGregor to fight Floyd Mayweather Jr in a boxing match is that his reputation will be tarnished if he loses, but Dana White doesn’t believe that will be the case.
“Absolutely not,” White said yesterday during a media call for Mayweather Vs McGregor. “At the end of the day these two guys wanted this fight. The fans wanted this fight. Conor is a mixed martial artist going into a boxing match with arguably the greatest boxer of all time. I don’t think it damages the brand or Conor McGregor at all. I think it actually elevates Conor McGregor. The fact that this kid who has so much to lose is willing to step in and is absolutely confident that he will win this fight. I think it’s one of the many reasons that people love Conor McGregor. Win lose or draw it will be one of the reasons that people continue to love Conor McGregor”
Showtime Sports will handle the pay-per-view for the event and their Executive Vice President & General Manager Stephen Espinoza also tried to play down the idea that either MMA or boxing’s brand could be harmed by the outcome of the fight.
“This is not a referendum on the sport of boxing or the sport of MMA. It’s a competition between Floyd and Conor,” Espinoza said during the same conference call. “If Conor is victorious, what that means is Conor beat Floyd and we have a really interesting potential rematch maybe down the line. But that’s all it means. It’s not a victory for one sport or the other regardless of who wins.”
