LAS VEGAS — The Nevada State Athletic Commission has appointed veteran boxing referee Robert Byrd to next week’s match between Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor.
The commission voted unanimously on Byrd’s appointment during its regularly scheduled monthly meeting on Wednesday. Neither camp expressed concern over Byrd.
Byrd has worked one previous Mayweather fight, a lopsided decision win against Robert Guerrero to retain a welterweight world title in May 2013.
Judges Burt Clements, Dave Moretti and Guido Cavalleri were appointed to score the 12-round bout, which will take place Aug. 26 at T-Mobile Arena.
Clements has judged four previous Mayweather fights: Manny Pacquiao, Marcos Maidana I, Juan Manuel Marquez and Ricky Hatton. Cavalleri has judged one, the Maidana rematch.
Moretti has judged 11 previous Mayweather fights, including five in a row (Andre Berto, Pacquiao, Maidana I and II, Canelo Alvarez).
One referee absent from NSAC executive director Bob Bennett’s formal recommendations to the commission was Kenny Bayless. He has officiated Mayweather in the past, but was not considered as a candidate to oversee this fight due to his public opinion of the matchup.
Bayless said he did not see the point of Mayweather (49-0, 26 KOs) fighting McGregor, who is the UFC’s lightweight champion but has not boxed professionally.
Earlier this week, Bennett told the Los Angeles Times the commission had eliminated the possibility of Bayless officiating the fight awhile back, based on those comments.
ESPN’s Dan Rafael contributed to this story.
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