Floyd Mayweather v Conor McGregor: All you need to know ahead of the $1billion superfight

Floyd Mayweather has finally confirmed he will fight Conor McGregor this summer in what will be the biggest box-office event in history.

The superstar pair announced a deal had been agreed on social media and set a date for the boxing clash of the century.

Mayweather remains unbeaten in the sport and is arguably the best pound-for-pound fighter in history after retiring with 49 wins to his name in 2015.

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That record leaves him level with Rocky Marciano and he will unparalleled if he beats the Irishman in their blockbuster showdown.

Here’s everything you need to know about one of the most eagerly anticipated fights ever.

Who are the fighters?

Mayweather is a former five-weight world champion and one of the biggest attractions in the world.

He was regularly recognised as the highest-paid athlete in sport during a glittering career and is known for his lavish lifestyle.

The man nicknamed ‘Money’ won a bronze medal at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta in the Featherweight division.

McGregor is the biggest name in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) having dominated the world of mixed martial arts.

He will be making his professional boxing debut against Mayweather after being granted a licence by the California State Athletic Commission in December.

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Where will the fight take place?

Las Vegas is the boxing capital of the world and set to host the Mayweather v McGregor superfight.

UFC president Dana White revealed the T-Mobile Arena, which opened last year, has been picked to stage the show.

Mayweather favoured the MGM Garden Arena at the height of his boxing fame while McGregor has fought at the new stadium once before in the UFC.

How much is the fight worth?

Mayweather v McGregor will be the richest fight in the history of boxing and could be worth a whopping $1billion in total.

Both fighters are in line for a huge chunk of that with Mayweather set to earn $100million and McGregor to take home about $75million.

The real reason that McGregor stands to earn substantially less than Mayweather is because McGregor is locked into his contract with the UFC.

The fight is expected to gross almost 5million PPV buys, which would net a cash windfall of $475m.

Sponsorship would likely top $20m, while the projected Nevada betting on the fight stands at $30m.

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When will the fight take place?

Fight fans don’t have long to wait until the two men face off in the ring.

August 26 has been chosen as the date of the bout and there is one key reason behind this scheduling.

The Mayweather v McGregor superfight cannot be held within three weeks of the Canelo Alvarez v Gennady Golovkin fight in order to avoid infringing on promotional rights

What does the world make of the fight?

Boxing legend Mike Tyson: “I don’t give McGregor a chance. Him boxing Floyd doesn’t make it interesting. If he fought with MMA rules and Floyd boxing, now that would have been interesting. Now that would have genuine intrigue and we’d wonder who is going to win but right now it’s like this [squashing motion] but with those rules it’d be totally different.”

UFC star Nate Diaz “I think it is a publicity stunt but McGregor, when it comes to boxing, is good. He’s got a good chance to make something happen in two or three rounds. If anything, he has two or three good rounds. He’s got an amateur style; he’s got good movement and good punches for six or eight minutes… He’s got a puncher’s chance, if anything.”