Hard to deny boxing-MMA debate isn’t at root of Mayweather-McGregor interest

The promoters of the Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Conor McGregor can try their best to sell the uneven boxing match between a Hall of Fame-bound boxer and the inspired UFC champion on its entertainment value.

But their mission to keep the outcome from becoming a source of future taunting from an opinionated combat sports public is a lost cause.

While announcing the fight Wednesday, Showtime Executive Vice President Stephen Espinoza sought to downplay the fight’s primary selling point — boxing versus mixed martial arts.

“This is not a referendum on the sport of boxing or the sport of MMA,” Espinoza said. “What this is is a competition between Floyd and Conor, and if Conor is victorious, what that means is that Conor beat Floyd and we have a really interesting potential rematch down the line.

“That’s all it means. It’s not a victory for one sport or the other, regardless of who wins.”

UFC President Dana White added that he doesn’t believe the result will harm his company’s brand even if McGregor is picked apart and fails to land significant punches on Mayweather, as a herd of world-class professional boxers have failed to do in Mayweather’s 49-0 career.

“Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor are such unique individuals and so dominant in each of their sports in every way, shape and form, it’s a fun fight,” White said. “This is not a fight we tried to make or build. This thing built itself. It started from the ground up. The fans wanted to see this thing. The media went crazy. And here we are. Right fight at the right place at the right time.”

Fair enough, but knowing the sports’ fan bases, let’s be honest about how the fallout will land.

MMA strikers, even though their positioning requires them to stand differently while bracing for the possibility of takedowns or leg whips, face the potential of being dismissed by the boxing core as slightly upgraded bar fighters.

Boxing, already viewed by some in the young MMA crowd to be their grandfather’s sport, will be torched if Mayweather has any difficulty disposing of McGregor.

And certainly this back and forth will be part of the fighters’ pre-fight exchanges. McGregor will be tempted to identify himself as the more complete fighter because of his universal skills.

Mayweather has already shot back about the disparity in pay between an elite boxer and a top MMA fighter.

On social media Wednesday night, Mayweather posted a video of himself introducing the “Mayweather Challenge,” riding in a custom Rolls-Royce limousine with a chinchilla carpet, wearing a white-gold watch and asking others — McGregor implied — to share a video of their lifestyle.

“It’s like NASCAR and Formula One,” Espinoza said. “One’s not going to replace one. You see some crossover, the skills transfer, and that’s what we’re talking about here….”

Mayweather advisor Leonard Ellerbe described it as a “fun” concept that emerged after he and Mayweather witnessed the charismatic McGregor’s stand-up skill in a recent UFC bout.

“I can’t remember the time frame, but the kid’s been making a lot of noise,” Ellerbe said. “I had watched a fight and said, ‘This kid’s got a nice hand game.’ Floyd said, ‘Yeah, he does have a nice hand game.’

“This is a fight Floyd is taking seriously because we all know all it takes in boxing is one shot … a guy with that kind of power, he can nick you and you can be buzzed. There’s been a few times in this point Floyd has been buzzed. One thing about Conor McGregor we know is you have to pay him very close attention because when he touches people, they fall down.”

Boxing veterans are asking if McGregor can even land a punch, but White has seen McGregor succeed after appearing to bite off more than he can chew in the UFC for so long — ending Jose Aldo’s 10-year-long unbeaten run with a knockout punch in 13 seconds, defeating Nate Diaz 25 pounds above his weight limit — that he’s selling the anything-is-possible story line.

The bout is expected to generate purses in excess of $100 million for both fighters, and Ellerbe said gate and pay-per-view sales could reach $500 million.

“You can’t help but feel it. When you’re a true fight fan, you don’t mind hearing about the money, as long as it’s coming from a guy who loves to fight and loves to challenge himself against anybody out there,” White said.

“I’ve had all these situations where fights have fallen out and we’ve got all these guys claiming to be the biggest and baddest out there, and they’re not willing to step in as the replacement. When your guy [McGregor] steps up and fights anybody and wins, that’s the guy people love.

“Conor told me this morning, ‘The McGregor clan has been taking over villages for the last 300 years, and Floyd’s village is next.’”

lance.pugmire@latimes.com

Twitter: @latimespugmire