Christ continues to weep as the rest of us succumb to the idea that, eventually, all-time boxing great Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor - a talented practitioner of a completely different sport - will trade leather in a boxing ring.
You know the drill at this stage, and to bog you down with a recap of the details surrounding what amounts to a combat sporting ponzi scheme would be to waste both our time and your own (although if you're interested in how this entire farce came about, you can check out Gavan Casey's exclusive take on its origins from last May).
At the moment, no agreement has been reached which would see arguably the biggest pay per view event in the history of combat sports come to fruition, although it's understood that the final stumbling block - apart from the fact that McGregor doesn't yet have a Nevada State Athletic Commission boxing licence - is the UFC star's contract with, well, the UFC.
McGregor is expected to meet with Dana White to hammer out the details after the birth of his first child next month, but Floyd Mayweather's uncle, boxing coach Jeff Mayweather, has made a rather intriguing claim about Dana White's role as a cog in this entire negotiative process.
On Saturday, 'the quiet Mayweather' drew the ire of White when told Eyes on the Game’s Helen Yee:
80-20 percent. (Conor) would have to take 20 percent, if he’s allowed to fight. And the one thing is that Dana’s his boss. He’ll still make more money than he ever did (with that 20 percent), but at the same time, that’s very tough pill to swallow. If somebody tells you ‘I’m gonna take 80 percent of your money, and you’re the one that’s fighting for it, that’s still a tough pill to swallow. Even if you made more money than you ever did. But, it is what it is.
At the UFC 210 press conference, Dana White labelled Mayweather's comments "fucking bullshit," before confirming he and McGregor were 'in a good place' and would meet up to discuss the fight in due course.
Jeff Mayweather? Come on, Jeff. Me and Jeff go way back. Jeff, are you the spokesman now for fucking Team Mayweather? And Bob Arum? You piece of shit. Fuck you, too.
Jeff Mayweather has since clarified to Tom Taylor of BJPenn.com that he didn't mean Floyd Mayweather would only agree to an 80:20 split between the two fighters, but that White and the UFC were demanding 80% of McGregor's purse for any prospective contest, hence why the fight has been held up for so long.
The 52-year-old said:
I’m not speaking for Floyd. The 80-20 split is not for Floyd. What Floyd’s getting is guaranteed. What Conor is getting – I’m talking about the split with the UFC and Conor McGregor. That’s the split I’m talking about. Not no 80-20 with Floyd and Conor. Whatever Floyd’s asking for, he’s going to get.
If 80/20 is going to give you more money than you ever made, you really can't complain about it. Because, at the end of the day, that's what it's about — it's about making more money than you ever have. With the 80/20 split, he's (McGregor) still gonna make more money than he ever did.
White was once a close associate of the Mayweathers, and while there's no real animosity between he and Floyd Jr, Floyd Sr, Roger or Jeff, the former pound-for-pound boxing kick does enjoy reminding the UFC president who fed him when he first arrived on the Vegas strip.
Back in January, Mayweather Jr said:
I like Dana White, I don’t have anything against him - but I can remember Dana White used to hang around me and Jeff Mayweather and carry my bags.
Dana White, I remember when you used to carry my bags. And remember Dana White, I showed you love. You had the little Bullenbeisser patch I wore on my trunks for you, Dana. I’ve always been good to you. But then all of the sudden he cut his head bald and he’s such a tough guy. He’s such a tough guy.
The notion that White is the final obstacle in getting the fight over the line is hardly new, but the specifics - and White's alleged 80:20 purse demands on behalf of the UFC - are at least an interesting development in this extremely laborious saga.
