Combat sports stars Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor could be set to tangle in the ring once more amid reports that the two icons of their respective sports are close to agreeing terms for a rematch of their 2017 boxing bout.
Negotiations between the pair's respective teams have been ongoing for some time, according to The Sun, with personal terms having been agreed in what would be a highly lucrative event for both men.
However, it is thought that some loose ends still remain unresolved, with McGregor wanting the fight to be contested across ten rounds rather than the 12 scheduled rounds which comprised their first contest.
The potential fight is also understood to be aimed at being contested at 155lbs – two pounds heavier than their initial meeting almost five years ago.
However, it is thought that this might prove difficult to McGregor given that he has added considerable muscle to his frame in his year-long absence since he suffered a serious leg injury in his previous UFC bout against longtime rival Dustin Poirier.
“[Conor] will only take the fight providing Floyd is willing to put his professional record on the line - so the fight will not be an exhibition, it will be an official fight,” The Sun quoted an insider in Mayweather's camps as saying.
“It will be at 155lb. That's what we know so far. It will be the last time Floyd ever steps in the ring so it is not one to miss.
“The deal is very close to being done. Personal terms have been agreed on both parties. It will be one final showdown. And yes records will be at stake.”
This follows reports that Mayweather had offered McGregor the princely sum of around $158 million to take part in the rematch – a fee which is understood to exceed McGregor's previous payday by around $20 million.
Reports also indicate that Mayweather has targeted next March for the fight, with a Middle East location most likely, and that the undercard would also feature a blockbuster fight between unbeaten fighters Gervonta Davis and Ryan Garcia.
McGregor has appeared to court the potential bout online, writing earlier this year in a since-deleted Instagram post that he “accepts” the offer, along with posting an image of him landing a shot on the unbeaten boxer.
But if the fight is to become a reality, it will need to bypass one significant stumbling block: UFC president Dana White.
White retains McGregor's promotional rights and any fight will need to be signed off by him – and he told the media in Las Vegas on Tuesday that the rumors were “bulls**t” and that he would need to be suffering from “dementia” to make the proposed bout.
The first meeting between Mayweather and McGregor is the second most-watched pay-per-view in combat sports history, attracting more than 4 million buys. Mayweather won the fight by tenth-round TKO – though McGregor earned praise from the boxing community for his gallant performance, particularly in the early rounds.
McGregor hasn't competed in a boxing match in the following years, while Mayweather has taken part in several exhibition matches against the likes of YouTube star Logan Paul, Japanese kickboxer Tenshin Nasukawa and most recently former sparring partner Don Moore – a fight which took place on a helipad in Dubai.