And now for the counting – and the accounting

• And now the real fight begins, and Conor McGregor is smart enough to let someone else battle on his behalf.

He’s talking about money. He’s talking about making sure he will get all that he is deserving of after the megamoney matchup against Floyd Mayweather. And not that McGregor doesn’t trust the Mayweather camp in being straight with him, he realizes he needs an advocate to make certain he isn’t being cheated out of any of the millions that will be coming his way.

“We’ ll count the gate,” said McGregor. “We count the pay- per- view. We count everything,” he said. “We’ll send the auditors in there like they’re f--- ing sharks. I’m clearing $100 million for this. There’s lots of sharks in this game — and we’re counting now.” Counting and accounting. Despite not being close to a sellout, the live gate was announced as record breaking on Saturday night, US$80 million in all. Those aren’t numbers the promoters can play with: They have to be accounted for through the Nevada State Athletic Commission and numerous tax bodies in the U.S.

Mayweather Promotions boss Leonard Ellerbe said he expected a pay- per- view record for the Saturday night fight card, even though the bout was delayed while problems in California and Florida had to be worked out. The bout was sold in 225 different countries. “We expect a record,” said Ellerbe.

Mayweather is guaranteed US$100 million for the bout, but said Sunday morning he believes US$300 million will be his payout. That will help him settle the US$29 million he currently owes the U. S. government in back taxes.

When asked of his relationship with McGregor after the fight, he was more than pragmatic: “After $300 million, I can’t say I don’t like him. I have to say we’re friends.”

The scorecards from the three ringside judges were hardly kind to McGregor, who trailed 89-81, 89-82 and 87-83. The Toronto Sun scored the fight 87-84, 6-3 in rounds, with McGregor winning the first three rounds and Mayweather winning the rest.

“I would have liked to seen the final bell,” McGregor said. “I think I deserved that.”

And when the counting is done, he’ll really find out what he deserves in dollars.