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Floyd Mayweather and the WWE's Jim Ross are both talking about promoting MMA

Even as the MMA boom fades, those who've had success in boxing and wrestling think they can make some money promoting cage fighting. Floyd Mayweather and Jim Ross are the latest to speak up.

By Nate Wilcox
Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Spor

I guess the news that the MMA boom is over isn't reaching every corner of the known universe. Despite Bellator's anemic ratings on Spike TV and the diminishing returns of the UFC on PPV over the past few years, figures from boxing and pro wrestling are talking up their MMA ambitions.

First up boxing superstar Floyd Mayweather, still counting his money from Saturday's mega-fight with Canelo Alvarez, via Fight Hype:

"I want to promote MMA fighters also. We are looking to promote MMA fighters, so it's the first time you're hearing it ... Al Haymon is looking to manage MMA fighters. Even though Al Haymon hasn't came on record and said it, but I want Al to manage MMA fighters. I think I can take it to the next level.

"I don't mind doing business with Dana White. Dana White's a cool guy. I've been knowing Dana before he got involved with the MMA."

While I'm sure Mayweather and Al Haymon could help any number of MMA fighters maximize their earnings potential, I'm sure Dana White would rather they didn't.

In the other corner, legendary WWE announcer Jim Ross, with the twist being that he'd like to work for the UFC rather than to compete against it. As he told Ariel Helwani on the MMA Hour:

"The most challenging part to me would be to engage in talent development, recruiting the right kind of people for the organization," said Ross, while speaking with Ariel Helwani. "Any entity like the UFC, the NFL, WWE, it starts with its talent. It starts and ends there. Talent is the reason the people pay to engage in the product.

"The most challenging thing would be to work with talent," he said. "That could be a lot of fun. You want personality traits, athleticism, and dedication."

Maybe Jim can trigger a bidding war between the UFC and Bellator for his services, but don't hold your breath.

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