Floyd Mayweather Jr. has managed to get himself into combat sports headlines a lot over the last month and a half when he teased about a possible move to MMA. He even solidified these claims a week ago by announcing that he already began to apply for an MMA license.
While he did have harsh words for MMA as a sport in the past, Floyd Jr. has so far put on the impression that he is serious about this transition. In another recent interview with Fight Hype, Mayweather has now given a timetable for his supposed MMA debut.
“I started training already. Not the physical part – endurance, as far as moving around. So far, I’ve started running,” Mayweather said (transcript via MMAjunkie).
“I’m thinking about fighting in the MMA, I’ve thought about it,” he continued. “I started training in Miami. I look forward to fighting probably by the end of the year. We don’t know. Right now it’s a 50-50 (chance), not a hundred percent. But we’ve started training.”
UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley has also been claiming that he will be working with Mayweather to get the retired undefeated boxer ready primed and ready for a cage fight. Mayweather did confirm that he has been working with “The Chosen One”, among others.
“Me and Woodley have spoke to each other on numerous occasions. We talked. We said we’re going to start working out, as far as he’s got a great hand game already,” Mayweather said.
“I’m going to be working with different guys in the jiu-jitsu world. My wrestling game, I’m going to be working with guys with the wrestling. My kicking game, I’m going to be working with guys for the kicking game. Before I get in the Octagon, I’ve got to be well rounded, all around the board.”
And of course, in typical Floyd Mayweather fashion, he has already given himself major props.
“I know right now I’m the biggest name in MMA. Hands down, I know this. And the second biggest name is Conor McGregor.”
The 41-year-old Mayweather retired for the third time last August after defeating McGregor via tenth-round TKO in a highly-publicized boxing match.