The fact that Conor McGregor vs. Floyd Mayweather are even fighting, let alone that this will likely end up being either the first or second biggest grossing event in the history of combat sports, is a testament to the change in the economics and in the media.
Fights similar to this have been talked about since the beginning of time, but they were almost never made, because in the past it never made any financial sense to happen.
And the one fight people talk about when it comes to a historical comparison, the June 25, 1976 fight between Muhammad Ali and Japanese pro wrestler Antonio Inoki, underscores just how different things are today.