LAS VEGAS -- UFC featherweight champion Conor McGregor says he's still interested in boxing Floyd Mayweather Jr., the retired former pound-for-pound king, as long as Mayweather comes up with the appropriate funds.
McGregor held an open media workout at his remote gym Friday to promote his non-title welterweight rematch against Nate Diaz at UFC 202 on Aug. 20.
Not surprisingly, McGregor was asked about Mayweather, a former five-division world champion who retired from boxing last September.
Earlier this year, McGregor (19-3) and Mayweather teased the possibility of a crossover fight. At the time, McGregor was in a public feud with the UFC that ultimately led to his removal from a scheduled fight at UFC 200 on July 9. The two sides have since made up.
On Friday, McGregor was asked if a fight with Mayweather was still a possibility.
"Yeah, of course," he said. "Right now, I have Floyd running around the Showtime [Network] offices gathering my money. That's what he's doing. He's running around the Showtime offices, begging those executives to come up with the $100 million cash he needs to fight me. As soon as he gets my money, we can fight."
McGregor's disclosed purse for his last bout, a loss to Diaz (19-10) at UFC 196 in March, was $1 million, although he makes much more than that in undisclosed pay-per-view bonuses.
McGregor, 28, is under contract with the UFC, meaning any potential fight against Mayweather in the near future would have to involve a co-promotion or the UFC's blessing. The likelihood of either situation seems dim.
That hasn't stopped either fighter, or the sports world, from discussing the topic. McGregor, 27, has already said he would accept a fight under boxing rules and expect to do well against Mayweather.
"If you want to fight me, we can fight," McGregor said. "If you need a specific rule set to protect you from a true fight, that's no problem. Just make sure that money is there. We can fight under your safe rules. Me? I don't need rules. I am the f---ing rule.
"I don't really hold it against him. I wouldn't want to come into my world. How is he going to come into my world? He's a novice where I come from. He's a phenomenal boxer, phenomenal athlete and an intelligent businessman. But he's a novice in true fighting. That's just a simple fact. I would not show up not confident [for a boxing match]. I would show up to kill that man and take that win, 100 percent. Why dominate one world when you can dominate two? We'll see how that plays out."
UFC president Dana White has stated that, win or lose on Aug. 20, he expects McGregor to return to the featherweight division to defend a title he won in December. McGregor won the belt by knocking out Jose Aldo in just 13 seconds at UFC 194.