Conor McGregor’s contract prohibits him from kicking, kneeing or elbowing Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Floyd Mayweather’s ability to frustrate opponents is legendary. He’s tough to find, much less hit, and as the minutes and the chance at victory slip away, the strain of it all can lead to desperation.
Conor McGregor, as the premier UFC fighter, knows how to win fights with elbows, knees and kicks, but if he employs those tactics in his Aug. 26 boxing match with Mayweather, the penalties would be severe.
“When you talk about a guy of Floyd Mayweather’s level and value in the sport, the lawsuit, if that ever happened … Conor likes money, man — Conor would depart with a lot of money if that ever happened,” UFC President Dana White said.
Beyond the threat of a lawsuit, McGregor (21-3 in the UFC) is not allowed under boxing rules and contractual language to kick, knee or elbow Mayweather.
Certainly, wiggle room applies on the elbows, given Mayweather’s history of creatively finding a way to back his opponent away.
But anything that appears intentional will be watched closely.
“That will not happen,” White said. “First of all, that is absolutely in the contract. No. 2, this is a boxing match under the Nevada State Athletic Commission, under the rules of boxing.”
McGregor’s agent, Audie Attar, said McGregor is committed to boxing only in this fight.
“In any boxing match, if a guy throws a roundhouse kick to the head, there’s going to be a penalty,” Attar said. “This is the best MMA fighter going against the best boxer in a boxing match, so people are looking at that issue as something that was heightened.
“It wasn’t an issue ever in this process.”
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