December 22nd, 2007

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HDNet Fights: Boxing champ Floyd Mayweather Jr. considers move to MMA

floyd mayweather bahses ufc champion chuck iceman liddell
Undefeated professional boxing champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. is considering a move to mixed martial arts apparently for real this time after forging a relationship with billionaire owner of upstart promotion HDNet Fights, Mark Cuban, on the television program, “Dancing with the Stars,” according to ESPN.com.

“Pretty Boy” has been vocal in the past about the supremacy of the sweet science over MMA, bashing then UFC light heavyweight champion, Chuck Liddell, prior to his blockbuster showdown with Oscar De La Hoya earlier this year.

The vociferous sensation attributed the MMA smack after defeating De La Hoya to just good old fashioned jawing. However, now he appears to have serious designs on considering some type of move to MMA with seemingly nothing left to prove (or any big name to challenge him left) in boxing.

Here’s a snip from Cuban:

“Floyd is considering fighting with HDNet Fights. We are going to let him visit some gyms to talk to some folks about what it would take to learn. He knows it won’t be easy. But he is getting involved with MMA and HDNet Fights one way or another. He is pumped about it. He wants to go on to the next big thing. Floyd is a brilliant marketer. He follows the money.”

Indeed, Mayweather is among the biggest draws in his respective sport. In fact, his two fights alone in 2007 generated something in the neighborhood of $200 million. For some perspective, the UFC in 2006 did roughly more than $220 million for all of its events … and that was a banner year for the organization.

Here’s more from Cuban:

“If I said there’s a guaranteed $30 million payday, Floyd would be lacing them up. If not, I could see him working to train and develop and invest in MMA fighters, knowing the upside. He can teach them how to be a better boxer and add to their other skills.”

The interesting thing here is that Cuban can afford to pay Mayweather an ungodly amount of money to somehow get involved with HDNet Fights, whether it is as a fighter, trainer or vocal supporter. And more likely than not it will be an investment that has a huge upside — the curiosity of MMA and boxing fans alike will be piqued at all times.

After all we’re not talking about Ray Mercer or Kermit Cintron here … it’s Floyd Mayweather Jr. — the best pound-for-pound boxer on the planet considering on offer to get involved in MMA.

That’s huge for the sport of MMA in general and HDNet Fights in particular regardless of the result … even if this is just another publicity stunt.

Stay tuned.

(Thanks to MMAmania.com reader “DrubySunshine” for the assist.)

Written by admin on December 22nd, 2007 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on HDNet and Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and MMA.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. Talking About Fighting MMA for HDNet?

Yes, it seems Mark Cuban has talked to Floyd Mayweather Jr. about possibly fighting for HDNet under MMA rules. I really, really hope this happens, and I hope he fights a legit contender and not some washed up MMA tomato can.

Personally, I think Mayweather will never fight in mixed martial arts, I believe this is just some hype to keep people talking during his break between boxing matches. Mayweather wants to keep his name in the public.

Supposedly, Mayweather and billionaire entrepreneur Mark Cuban struck up a friendship on the “Dancing With The Stars” television show, on which they were both competitors. Mark Cuban owns HDNet and the HDNet Fights MMA organization.

Many people consider Floyd Mayweather to be the best boxer on earth right now. However, unless he does some serious training and focuses on takedown defense, I think he would get schooled hard by most MMA fighters.

In an interview with ESPN, Mark Cuban is quoted as saying “Floyd is considering fighting with HDNet Fights. We are going to let him visit some gyms to talk to some folks about what it would take to learn. He knows it won’t be easy. But he is getting involved with MMA and HDNet Fights one way or another. He is pumped about it. He wants to go on to the next big thing. Floyd is a brilliant marketer. He follows the money.”

Mark Cuban went on to say “If I said there’s a guaranteed $30 million payday, Floyd would be lacing them up, if not, I could see him working to train and develop and invest in MMA fighters, knowing the upside. He can teach them how to be a better boxer and add to their other skills.”

Leonard Ellerbe, an associate of Mayweathers said the boxer is seriously interested in transitioning to the sport of Mixed Martial Arts. Ellerbe is quoted as saying “When Floyd makes his move, obviously it’s going to be a mega event. We don’t have a timetable. Floyd is taking some time off, but Floyd understands what is involved. You have to take time to go out and understand what you’re getting involved in, and he’s ready to do that.”

“Floyd is about taking on challenges,” Ellerbe said. “This ain’t some kind of prank. That is one of many things we’ve talked about with Mark. Floyd would have to take time to really understand it, but it is most definitely something he is interested in.”

Written by admin on December 22nd, 2007 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on fights and floyd mayweather and Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Boxing and HDNet Fights and UFC and Mark Cuban and MMA.