Dana White Gives Conor McGregor Sunday Deadline for Floyd Mayweather Fight

Posted on: May 12, 2017, 05:00h. 

Last updated on: May 12, 2017, 10:26h.

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UFC President Dana White is growing tired of dealing with the potential Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor fight.

Dana White UFC Mayweather vs. McGregor
The most powerful man in MMA, UFC boss Dana White has met his match in trying to iron out Mayweather vs. McGregor details. (Image: Josh Hedges/Getty Images)

Appearing this week on CBS Sports Radio’s “The Jim Rome Show,” White told listeners that he’s losing patience in trying to find terms suitable to the two large personalities. The hyped clash has generated tons of press since the idea was first floated a year ago, and sportsbooks have taken tens of thousands of dollars on its hypothetical outcome.

To date, however, neither party has signed on the bottom line.

“I just can’t keep messing with this thing,” White explained. “I need to run my business, and I have to focus on all the other things that are going on.”

White has stated that each side stands to make over $75 million, but that might not satisfy Money Mayweather. To bring the storied boxer out of retirement for a third time, the figure would likely need to be closer to the $220 million number he made for his 2015 fight against Manny Pacquiao.

White Confident

Despite the MMA executive’s frustrations, White still believes Mayweather vs. McGregor will happen.

He first needs to come to terms with his own employee, UFC champ McGregor. White says that must happen by this Sunday, an achievable deadline, according to the president.

“I plan on having this thing locked up … and then moving on to Team Mayweather and starting a negotiation with them,” White explained. “If we really do get it done in that time frame, then this thing could possibly happen.”

Odds on the fight opened with Mayweather as a huge favorite, as much as -3000. But sports bettors have flocked to Las Vegas sportsbooks to take the underdog, and have moved the line to its current position of Mayweather -900, McGregor +600 (Westgate SuperBook).

Should the bout become official, the odds will likely move back in Mayweather’s favor, as bettors presently don’t want to tie up a lot of money in an unconfirmed fight that might take months to hash out.

Alvarez Opens Up

Eddie Alvarez is one of McGregor’s many UFC victims. Last November, the former UFC Lightweight Champion lost his belt in dramatic fashion.

UFC fans said Alvarez looked like a “crash test dummy” in the ring with McGregor. Described by White as the “biggest fight card” in the league’s history, Alvarez lasted less than two full rounds before being TKO’d.

“Almost the whole ride, I cried the way home,” Alvarez revealed this week to the Associated Press. “It’s like getting a big tattoo on your chest. That’ll always be there.”

He hopes to remove some of the stained ink this Saturday during UFC 211, but his poor performance against McGregor has put him in a preliminary match against Dustin Poirier.

The fight is expected to be close. Caesars Palace’s sportsbook puts Alvarez at +105, a slight underdog, to Poirier at -125.

The main card will see heavyweights Stipe Miocic vs. Junior dos Santos square off. The SuperBook posts Miocic as the favorite (-145) to Santos (+125).