This Saturday's showdown between boxing legend Floyd "Money" Mayweather and mixed martial arts wunderkind Conor McGregor is already shattering records, UFC President Dana White told CNBC on Thursday.
"It's the most distributed fight ever in combat history," White said on CNBC's "Closing Bell." "Over 200 countries will get the fight."
Some are forecasting the fight's pay-per-view revenue will easily trounce the richest fight of all time, between Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao, which grossed more than $400 million.
A PPV revenue projection found that the McGregor-Mayweather fight could rake in $700 million in pay-per-view revenue alone, Deadline reported.
And White said ticket sales to the event itself will bring in "over $70 million." Ticket sales so far are "over $65 million, and there's still a couple days to go," White said.
Even the championship belt — aptly dubbed "the money belt" in this case — will likely be the most expensive ever. The ostentatious prize belt is made up of 3,360 diamonds, 600 sapphires, 300 emeralds and 1.5 kilograms of gold, and has straps made of alligator skin.
The fight between Mayweather and Pacquaio was widely panned as a letdown ("Don't put that one on me," White said). But White said he's confident that the upcoming "combat" fight — mixed martial arts and boxing — will live up to the hype.
"It's almost impossible" for McGregor "to be in a bad fight," White said.
McGregor says the eight-ounce gloves to be used in the fight against Mayweather, twice as heavy as regulation UFC gloves, will weigh in his favor, White said.
White also batted away concerns about the brutality of MMA on fighters' physical and mental health. "In over 20 years, there's never been a death or serious injury in the UFC," White said.
"Cheerleading can't say that."
WATCH: Mayweather-McGregor ticket demand not living up to hype
