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.)
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