Tony Bellew admits that the proposed Floyd Mayweather-Conor McGregor super-fight is 'not great' for the sporting integrity of boxing, but is good for the 'business' side, arguing that it can help make boxing 'grow' again and open the sport up to new fans.

Boxing great, promoter, and former rival of Mayweather Oscar De La Hoya had described the Mayweather-McGregor fight as a 'farce' that should not be allowed to happen.

However, McGregor has settled on an agreement with the UFC to take on the boxing challenge, while Mayweather said last weekend he was 90 per cent sure the fight would now happen.

In an open letter on Facebook, De La Hoya had called for boxing fans to come together and stop the fight from happening.

Although Bellew agrees with De La Hoya that there is no sporting value to the contest, he believes that money talks.

"It doesn’t sound like Oscar De La Hoya does it? Giving Floyd Mayweather some stick?

"I’m not going to lie, McGregor vs Mayweather is not great for the sport.

"But, it is for the business side of boxing. It’s just going to make the sport grow again and open those pearly gates to more mainstream fans.

"Another side effect will be proving once and for all to MMA fighters that they belong in a cage and boxers in a ring.

"Mayweather will end this fight when he sees fit.

"They're going to get in a ring and it will be over whenever Floyd Mayweather sees fit.

"Don't talk nonsense to me and say 'oh, he could land a punch'.

"The best fighters of his era have tried to land that punch, never mind the guy from a cage."

The fight is still expected to be the most lucrative of all time, with some claiming it could generate as much as $1billion (£770million) in revenue.

"Ultimately, both guys will receive massive purses and that's why it's going to happen," Bellew added.

"The will for it and the want for this fight is absolutely but it'll be a mismatch in a boxing ring and it will see Floyd Mayweather win when he wants, and how he wants."