Proposed megafight in the balance
– Fight promoter Dana White says he has an agreement with mixed martial arts champion Conor McGregor for a megafight, but boxing superstar Floyd Mayweather (left) remains unsigned.
White told US cable channel TNT this week that McGregor has agreed to a boxing match and not a martial arts fight, which heavily favours Mayweather, who has never lost in his two-decades long career.
White said they still have a long way to go. But his plan now is to try to lure Mayweather out retirement
Los Angeles
for a superfight with McGregor.
“The McGregor side is done,” Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) president White said. “I’m not saying the fight will happen but I got one side done and it’s time to work on the other (Mayweather).
“If we can come to a deal with (Al) Haymon and (Floyd) Mayweather, the fight’s going to happen.”
White said McGregor has agreed to step in the ring with the undefeated Mayweather despite not having fought competitively in a boxing ring since he was a teenager. McGregor was recently granted a licence to box in California.
McGregor, a 28-yearold Irishman, has been the UFC’s most popular fighter and among its top moneyspinners while Mayweather, a 40-year-old American, retired in 2015 with a 49-0 record including 26 victories by knockout.
White has said the fight could generate a payday of $100 million for Mayweather and $75 million for McGregor. Mayweather has always said he won’t come out of retirement for less than $100 million. –
Jonathan Kaplan
From hero to zero ... from a full house to bits and pieces. That’s the story of what can happen in one week. Last weekend was impossible to predict, with many games in the balance until the death and surprises from the Kings (I have commented on their improved form in previous columns) and the formless Force who upstaged the Jaguares (who couldn’t capitalise on the Sharks loss and now look certain to miss the play-offs).
So, the big question is whether the form of the Lions, impressive as it is, is good enough to beat any of the Kiwi teams? The Aussie conference is as weak as I’ve ever seen, so many of those wins could just as easily have been losses had they been playing tougher opponents.
On the positive side, they have a relatively easy run-in, barring an away game against the Sharks, and then a home semi. A final is a 50/50 game no matter the opponents, so it is possible that they could still give their coach a perfect departure gift.
First up this weekend are the Chiefs who host the unbeaten Crusaders. I have looked at the team sheets and I think the 5/4 offered by Betting World for the outright Chiefs win is good value. They have a competitive pack and I don’t think they will be dominated. It is highly unlikely the Crusaders, who had some lucky wins earlier in the season, will go through unbeaten and I’m tipping their first loss right here.
The Lions will be too strong for the Bulls tomorrow, but it is a local derby so I would caution against getting carried away with spreads. The Bulls weren’t terrible against the Highlanders last week.
The Tahs are a banker bet against the Rebels. Remarkably they are still in the hunt for the play-offs. They played well against the Blues and could have won, and the Rebels got smashed by 50 against those self-same Blues earlier in the season. The Betting World spread seems fair and I would take the -12 on offer.
The remarkable Kings are going for four in a row against the Brumbies and although I think the experience and BMT of the Brumbies’ Test players could sway the result their way, I would not be at all surprised should the fervour of the home support carry them over the line again. Lionel Cronje had an outstanding match last weekend and his leadership and tactical nous will be crucial in what may be a more attritional match than last week against the Sharks (Betting World +6).
Montpellier beating the troubled Racing team and Munster winning at home against the Ospreys look obvious plays to me, so maybe take an all-to-come with three or four of the teams and hope to double up!
I know the Canes lost last week (destroying my Superbru in the process) but I still think they will be there at the business end. Don’t wait for the last game against the Crusaders at home to place your cover bets (Betting World outright 4/1).
Bettind code: RBB Match 1: Lions v Bulls Match 2: Kings v Brumbies Match 3: Waratahs v Rebels Match 4: Montpellier v Racing Match 5: Munster v Ospreys 1 Team A win by 12 or less 2 Team A win by 13 or more 3 Draw 4 Team B win by 12 or less 5 Team B win by 13 or more