Normally, I wouldn’t give something like this a second glance, but the happenings in the last few days have raised my eyebrows.
For a few days, we have all known that UFC President Dana White has another “huge announcement” that he will make in the near future. In an interview with ESPN the Magazine, Dana White said the following:
I’m going to make an announcement next week that is going to blow people’s minds. That deal is done, but my employees don’t even know ye’. I’m renting out a place next Thursday and I’m going to tell them. Then we’ll make the announcement later that day. It’s an indicator of where this business is going over the next five years.
Now Dana White has made statements like this in the past, and most of the “huge” announcements have failed to live up to White’s hype. But, perhaps this time Dana White really does have a game-changer to announce.
Earlier this week, the world of boxing was shocked by Floyd Mayweather’s retirement. Mayweather was scheduled to rematch Oscar De La Hoya this September that likely would have netted him more than $25 million.
“It is with a heavy heart that I write you this message today,” Mayweather said in a statement. “I have decided to permanently retire from boxing. This decision was not an easy one for me to make as boxing is all I have done since I was a child. However, these past few years have been extremely difficult for me to find the desire and joy to continue in the sport.
“I have said numerous times and after several of my fights over the past two years that I might not fight again. At the same time, I loved competing and winning and also wanted to continue my career for the fans, knowing they were there for me and enjoyed watching me fight. However, after many sleepless nights and intense soul-searching I realized I could no longer base my decision on anything but my own personal happiness, which I no longer could find. So I have finally made up my mind, spoken to my family, particularly my mother, and made my decision.”
Mayweather has hinted at wanting to compete in mixed martial arts in the past and earlier this year also competed at the WWE’s Wrestlemania event.
Could Dana White and the UFC be set to announce that they have signed Floyd Mayweather? I know, I know, it sounds completely crazy; but the pieces are all lined up for it to happen.
Tamara from UFCMedia.com is hinting that Mayweather has been in contact with the UFC this week and Sam Caplan from FiveOuncesOfPain.com ponders the same idea.
Now, this all is complete speculation at this point and I would not place any money on this happening. A safer bet would be an announcement that the UFC had signed a deal with a major network, most likely either FOX or ABC/ESPN. My guess is that a network deal will be announced and the first show will take place this fall and be headlined by Chuck Liddell and/or Anderson Silva moving up to light heavyweight.
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