Don’t be fooled.
It seems that ever since Floyd Mayweather beat Conor McGregor last August in “The Biggest Fight in Combat Sports History,” there has been constant speculation about that particular blockbuster getting a sequel.
Recently, Dana White poured fuel on the fire when he admitted that he had been in talks with Mayweather’s longtime advisor Al Haymon about a potential rematch.
However, the UFC president insisted that they were not serious or active negotiations.
Of course, that hasn’t stopped the rumour mill from spinning and, on Friday, an ESPN boxing analyst claimed that the rematch will happen in July, under MMA rules at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
https://twitter.com/BarbosaBox/status/969635032838082560
However, most people responding to the tweet weren’t taking these details at face value.
When quote tweeted by talkSPORT’s Michael Benson, who asked if he was really serious, it soon became clear what had probably happened.
🇺🇸 Floyd Mayweather
🇮🇪 Conor McGregor
👊 MMA Rematch
📅 July
📍 Staples Center, Los AngelesYou've got to be kidding?! @ZonaESPN https://t.co/JLGKOV1nBB
— Michael Benson (@MichaelBensonn) March 2, 2018
It seems that a fake McGregor v Mayweather II poster has been doing the rounds on social media. As you can see below, the poster claims that the two fighters were set to go head-to-head at the Staples Center in July, just like BarbosaBox’s original tweet.
Oh thank God, false alarm. The people who've come out with this have been fooled by the poster below. It's from the media tour for the first fight 😅 pic.twitter.com/JhEiwpoE34
— Michael Benson (@MichaelBensonn) March 2, 2018
While McGregor had previously expressed an interest in taking on Mayweather under MMA rules, the Dubliner poured cold water over hopes that any kind of announcement was forthcoming.
“I am happy for Floyd and his recent announcement that he is out of these current fight negotiations,” McGregor wrote on Instagram.
“It is the reason I never sought the rematch in the first place. I was happy for him in retirement. My game is a very unforgiving one. It is not like other games. I understand completely him staying retired. I will now carry on in my negotiations and see where it goes.
“Have a great retirement Junior. Now come here and give your old man a hug for old time’s sake. I’m proud of you son. Yours truly, Senior.”
McGregor is expected to make a return to the UFC in 2018, but it looks as though Mayweather will not be coming out of retirement for his octagon debut.
