Conor McGregor next news update: Floyd Mayweather offers the MMA champ $15 million upfront paycheck for their tipped match

Conor McGregor may be on a break from fighting in the Octagon, but that does not mean that talks about him eventually stepping in the boxing ring has also stopped. In fact, the highly talked-about potential match between him and Floyd Mayweather Jr. has been picking up steam now more than ever.

Following McGregor demanding for a $100-million paycheck should the face-off happens, Mayweather offers a counteroffer, which is a lot less than what the mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter is asking for. "We tried to make the Conor McGregor fight," Mayweather stated when he visited ESPN's "First Take" earlier this week. "They know what my number is. My number is a guaranteed $100 million. That was my number," he reiterated.

"We are willing to give him $15 million and then we can talk about splitting the percentage — the back end — on the pay-per-view. But of course, we're the 'A side.' How can a guy talk about making 20 or 30 million if he has never made 8 or 9 million in a fight," he continued.

While McGregor has yet to reply to Mayweather's counteroffer, American Sports Columnist has done the initial talking for him.

He's making an insultingly low offer to Conor McGregor because there is no way he wants any part — even boxing under boxing rules — of Conor McGregor, who is now the baddest man on this planet. He is afraid of Conor McGregor," he boldly said championing the Irish man's cause. "Conor McGregor is 28 years of age, Floyd is almost 40 years of age and he's heading towards washed up. Because he has not fought anybody for a long, long time. He is afraid of what Conor McGregor, even under strictly boxing rules would do to Floyd's 49–0 legacy, which is tainted forever. Some MMA fighter, what if he lost to an MMA fighter?"

The talks for the supposed bout have been rounding the sporting community for quite a while now since Mayweather posed the interesting idea that he is willing to come out of retirement if McGregor faces him on the boxing ring. Not one to shy away from any dare, Mystic Mac has expressed his eagerness with the idea to the point of even securing a boxing license. However, at this point, negotiations are still unofficial, which could spell the difference between seeing the head to head or not.