ESPN’s Max Kellerman hails potential Mayweather-McGregor fight and ‘First Take’ success while back in L.A.

It’s bold, thought-out opinions that have solidified Max Kellerman’s success alongside Stephen A. Smith on ESPN’s “First Take.”

As the former Los Angeles radio personality returned to L.A. this week, he was ready to discuss one of sports’ hottest topics: Will Floyd Mayweather Jr. fight Conor McGregor?

“Yes. It’s an issue of money. Here, Mayweather’s M.O. has been to maximize reward and minimize risk. It’s a business strategy. And what could be lower risk than McGregor for more reward?” Kellerman said in a telephone interview with The Times.

“From McGregor’s point of view, where can he make more money than fighting Floyd? Of course he’s certain to lose in a boxing ring, but, so what? He’s not a boxer.”

While Kellerman was ringside Saturday night serving as HBO’s boxing analyst for the entertaining Gennady Golovkin-Daniel Jacobs middleweight title fight on pay-per view, veteran boxing promoter Lou DiBella ranted to reporters that the UFC won’t allow the Mayweather-McGregor fight because a one-sided loss would damage the company’s brand following its $4-billion July purchase by Beverly Hills-based WME/IMG.

Kellerman disagrees.

“It’s a huge pay day for Conor, and it increases brand awareness because it’s a global event. He’s not a boxer,” Kellerman said. “We all know … Floyd would have zero percent chance in an octagon to beat Conor McGregor. Conor has zero percent chance in the ring to beat Floyd. And there’s no such thing as a hexagon where you can split the difference.

“So why in a boxing ring? Floyd can generate more money. He’s the bigger draw and is not under a labor contract. … He’s an independent contractor. He can keep more money and can therefore offer Conor more money than anybody else. The global event raises awareness, and if Conor loses, who cares? It’s like LeBron James not being able to hit Clayton Kershaw’s fastball. No kidding; he’s not a baseball player.”

Since joining “First Take” on July 25, Kellerman’s commentary, along with the show’s move from ESPN2 to ESPN following the departure of Skip Bayless, have helped propel it to a 12% jump in average viewers (459,000) since last year, including an increase of 24% in the 18-34 male demographic. Bayless’ new show on Fox Sports 1, “Undisputed,” averages fewer viewers than the “First Take” replay.

“You’ve got to do your thing and hope it resonates,” Kellerman said. “They had a winning formula when I got there. It’s a great format. Two guys with strong opinions, being authentic, finding the point of departure in their argument and then going at it. It seems to resonate.

“The thing about a hot take is you never look for one. What you do is you give real thought to a topic. Most of the time, there’s a consensus. Usually, the consensus is right. But sometimes, the consensus is wrong, and the counterintuitive take is right.

“When you first hear it, you’re going to be like, ‘No way.’ But let me present the evidence, and by the end, you’ll be like, ‘Huh … there’s a consistent point of view there.’ A lot of the work on the show is taking a topic, finding the part you don’t agree, or the idea you have that makes the other guy go, ‘What?’ Then we’ve got something there.”

Kellerman and Smith mostly debate the NFL and NBA.

“What I’ve noticed about Stephen A., and he knows this about himself, is that it’s not just that he has a strong point of view, it’s that he doesn’t care what you think of his point of view,” Kellerman said. “His basic position is not to persuade, it’s to speak. I do like to persuade.”

The show gives Kellerman access to athletes he might’ve struggled to land when he hosted his ESPN radio show from Los Angeles for more than five years with Marcellus Wiley.

On Thursday’s show, for instance, the guests will be LaVar Ball — father to basketball’s Ball brothers — Seattle Seahawks defensive back Richard Sherman and NFL Hall of Fame receiver Michael Irvin. “First Take” airs 7-9 a.m. Pacific time.

Kellerman and Smith will receive a proclamation from L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti’s office thanking them for their contribution to Los Angeles and sports in general on Thursday, and the two will host a meet-and-greet with fans outside their L.A. Live studios following Friday’s show.

“Here I am in L.A., after living here for five and a half years, and I’ve realized there’s something about doing radio in L.A. — when you show up in the city, you feel like you are part of the fabric of the city in a way that maybe you don’t even deserve if you haven’t grown up here,” Kellerman said.

“But I was approached by a young man at the airport recently. He has a job in Silicon Valley now. He told me he started listening to Marcellus and I in high school, went all the way through college and now is off in the work force. … You wonder and hope that’s happening, that you have some kind of influence in terms of the experience of someone with their school friends. When someone tells you that he grew up listening to you, I have a special affinity for Los Angeles.”

lance.pugmire@latimes.com

Twitter: @latimespugmire