Floyd Mayweather Jr, already hinting at a ring return, has said it is “possible” he could come out of retirement to face mixed martial arts star Conor McGregor.
Rumours began circulating this week that a showdown between the two had been agreed, speculation that was given even more credence by a picture shared on social media by McGregor of him squaring off with Mayweather alongside the caption ‘MMA v boxing’.
“It’s possible,” Mayweather said in video posted by Fighthype.com on Saturday while in Las Vegas for the fight between Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and Amir Khan.
“It was a name that was shot at me. The rumours that you all have been hearing are the rumours that I started. It may not be a rumour, so keep your fingers crossed. It may be a boxer versus an MMA fighter.”
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Mayweather was asked about a potential McGregor matchup because British tabloid The Sun reported he and Ireland's McGregor were "on the verge" of agreeing to meet.
According to The Sun, the two would face off this year in a boxing ring — not an MMA octagon — with McGregor getting about US$10 million (Dh36.7m) to Mayweather's $144m.
Mayweather, 39, walked away from boxing in September with a perfect 49-0 record.
That included his last victory over Andre Berto and his triumph over Filipino boxing legend Manny Pacquiao in May 2015 in the most lucrative fight in boxing history.
In April, he told Showtime television interviewer Jim Gray that he might be tempted to return to the ring — if he could guarantee a “nine-figure” payday.
He said he had held talks with Showtime and the CBS network.
McGregor, the hugely popular Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) featherweight champion, teased his fans on Sunday via social media about a possible Mayweather matchup, posting what appears to be a promotional poster for such a clash on Twitter.
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