Mayweather ponders move to MMA

DALLAS – Floyd Mayweather Jr. met with Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban last week to discuss competing in mixed martial arts.

“We’re definitely going to work together,” Cuban said. “It’s just a question of in what capacity. You just don’t jump from being a boxer to an MMA fighter overnight. He has to test the waters.”

Mayweather, 30, is considered the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world and boxing’s No. 1 drawing card. His fights this year with Ricky Hatton and Oscar De La Hoya generated 3.25 million pay-per-view buys, more than $200 million in revenue and earned him about $50 million.

Cuban owns a fledgling mixed martial arts promotional company, HDNet Fights, and has put on two events.

“It would be huge,” Cuban said. “He’s an icon in boxing. He’s conquered that world. He is the champ and he wants to be the biggest grossing all-time champ as well. … Having him work with MMA and HDNet Fights … would take it to a whole other level.”

Mayweather and Cuban, who became friends on “Dancing with the Stars,” discussed Mayweather helping some of the fighters Cuban is working with on their boxing skills, while getting a look at what it will take to convert.