FLOYD MAYWEATHER is in talks with Conor McGregor over a sensational $1BILLION rematch, SunSport can exclusively reveal.
The undefeated American legend stopped the Irish MMA star on his boxing bow in August 2017, 16 months after SunSport once again broke the story of the cross-sport showdown.
And, on the eve of Notorious’ clash with Dustin Poirier back in the MMA octagon, we can confirm the leather-fisted money magnets are planning round two.
Mayweather went 50-0 with the tenth-round Las Vegas stoppage of the Dubliner, making around £250million once all the pay-per-view sales were totted up.
And Money, 43, boosted that windfall at the bookies by carrying the novice in the early rounds and backing himself to get the win late.
McGregor, the former apprentice plumber who went from claiming £170 dole cheques to making the UFC a $4bn empire, cleared around £100m from the clash.
The rerun could eclipse even those silly sums, if the fight-loving Middle East enters the bidding to host and fans convince themselves McGregor has a better chance now Mayweather is even further past his impeccable prime.
Anthony Joshua commanded £100m to take his Andy Ruiz Jr rematch to Saudi Arabia, focusing on just a UK boxing audience.
So imagine what one of the Middle Eastern powerhouses might pump into a spectacle that would lure eyes from two huge audiences, with two of the most recognisable men on earth.
The world’s biggest watch, whiskey and betting companies will splurge millions in sponsorship deals and adverts, every single blank surface in a ten-mile radius will be expertly branded – for a fee.
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And the undercard could now be boosted by the sort of eye-catching circus oddities that have popped up in the four years since the first instalment.
A controversial YouTuber vs sexy TikToker clash could stick another zero on the potential PPV earnings.
In the wake of November’s Mike Tyson vs Roy Jones Jr OAPunch-up, another ancient icon could be tempted out of retirement, to ensure the cyber show gets the grey vote too.
With the right hype and fanciful promotion, the magic ‘billion-dollar battle’ tag could be plastered all over the gold-leaf posters.
At present, Mayweather’s 2015 showdown with Manny Pacquiao is the biggest-money fight in history at £678m – but this could theoretically blow that out of the water.
Despite a sensational career winning world titles in five divisions in some of history’s biggest fights, rumours of cash flow troubles follow Mayweather around.
And the chance to make another outrageous pay cheque by meeting McGregor inside a roped ring under Queensberry rules will be easy money for the pound-for-pound genius.
McGregor’s reputation was in no way harmed from the T-Mobile circus, with boxing and YouTube stars – from Manny Pacquiao to Jake Paul – queuing up to fight the Dubliner.
McGregor’s MMA reputation was severely dented by the one-sided battering he took from Khabib Nurmagomdeov in October 2018.
But he redeemed himself with a 40-second demolition of Donald Cerrone in January that left him desperate for more regular combat.
Notorious plans to fight seven times for Dana White’s MMA promotion inside the next 18 months and insists talks to face Filipino eight-weight legend Pacquiao are at an advanced stage.
SunSport’s May 2016 revelation about the original McGregor vs Mayweather clash taking place was panned by critics inside both sports.
But it proved to be a box-office smash with 4.4m buys in the US and around 875,000 in the UK, despite the twilight start time.
And, although the ongoing pandemic is likely to hit any potential live gate, a global lockdown could boost TV buys all around the entertainment-starved world.
The UFC and biggest boxing promotions have managed to continue with shows, either behind closed doors or dramatically reduced attendances inside bubbles.
McGregor insists he will win a bonafide boxing world title before his career comes to a close.
And, although Mayweather currently holds no title and the sanctioning bodies do not allow title challenges instantly after a loss, the money on offer could be enough to bend any of the fight game’s flimsy rules.
If McGregor creates another highlight win against Poirier in Abu Dhabi on Saturday, it will catapult him into ANY fight he fancies.
The Crumlin father-of-two had his earnings hit by the Khabib mauling and the pandemic.
But he aims to topple Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi in 2021 and top the Forbes list of highest earning athletes.
Veteran superstar Mayweather remains a ruthless gun for hire, travelling to Japan in December 2018 to batter a kickboxer to tears on New Year’s Eve.
Unlike in his drawn-out professional fight with McGregor, Pretty Boy used the exhibition bout to embarrass Tenshin Nasukawa with three knockdowns inside the opening round.
The kickboxer’s corner threw in the towel before he had hurled a single punch.
The bizarre spectacle was the latest in Mayweather’s long list of get-richer-quicker schemes with his life-time earnings piling up over $1bn.
But, despite his outrageous social media boast posts, rivals like McGregor and rapper 50 Cent claim the bet-loving party boy keeps starring in bizarre bouts to stave off bookies and the taxman.
In December, it was confirmed that the same man who has beaten Pacquiao, Ricky Hatton, Miguel Cotto, Oscar De La Hoya and Canelo Alvarez would fight YouTube prankster Logan Paul, 25, in February.
Paul lost his first and only fight in November 2019 when fellow internet celebrity KSI outpointed him in a clumsy Los Angeles event.
But mastermind Mayweather has spotted the 22m subscribers and 6bn views Paul has so far generated and booked himself in for a tasteless earner of a bout.
Outside of the ring, Mayweather is dating Brit Anna Monroe, 29, head stripper at his Las Vegas club Girl Collection.
