Floyd Mayweather: ‘I Want To Promote MMA Fighters’
Floyd Mayweather could be getting in the MMMA business.
Mayweather, who defended his title from Canelo Alvarez last Sunday, told FightHype that he wanted to start adding MMA fighters to Mayweather Promotions.
“I want to promote MMA fighters also,” he said. “You know, Al Haymon is looking to manage MMA fighters. Even though Al Haymon hasn’t came on record and said it, but I want Al to manage MMA fighters. I think I can take it to the next level.”
The five-division world champion also said he wouldn’t mind doing business with UFC president Dana White.
“Dana White’s a cool guy,” he said. “I’ve been knowing Dana before he got involved with the MMA.”
The announcement is surprising, given Mayweather’s past comments about MMA and the UFC. In 2009, Mayweather said there wasn’t anyone in the UFC roster as good as him. He specifically named former light heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell, who retired from MMA in December 2010.
“Man, who in the UFC as good as Floyd Mayweather? Look back to two to three years ago, when this all started,” he said. “One of the stars in the sport, Chuck Liddell, has gone 3-4. The man has been knocked out so many time his boss made him retire. How many times you seen Floyd Mayweather knocked out? How many times you seen Floyd Mayweather even knocked down? None.”
He also told CBS Sports that MMA was created for white fighters who couldn’t succeed in boxing.
“In boxing, we know who’s dominating. Black fighters and Hispanic fighers is dominating in this sport,” he said. “And this is not a racial statement but there’s no white fighters in boxing that’s dominating, so they had to go to something else and start something new.”
And then, of course, there are Floyd Mayweather’s recent comments about dethroned middleweight champion Anderson Silva.
“I’m not disrespecting nobody, I respect the guys and what they do, but this is boxing. I don’t know that guy,” Mayweather said. “Tell me — he’s been on top for 17 years? I have a decade to go, come and talk me [then].”
[Photo credit: Bryan Horowitz / Flickr]
