UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor said he’s planning to “break” Floyd Mayweather Jr. within four rounds during their highly anticipated boxing match next week at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
McGregor, one of the best trash-talkers in combat sport…
UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor said he’s planning to “break” Floyd Mayweather Jr. within four rounds during their highly anticipated boxing match next week at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
McGregor, one of the best trash-talkers in combat sports, made the prediction during an appearance on Conan O’Brien’s TBS talk show:
While McGregor is aiming for a quick victory, he’s also said he wouldn’t mind an extended fight with the five-division world champion, perDaniel Matthewsof theDaily Mail. The UFC sensation said that might help give boxing fans more respect for MMA.
“(But) part of me is hoping that maybe he can last … part of me wants to show some skill and to dismantle him,” McGregor said Wednesday. “We are ready for absolutely every scenario. I am ready to go to war for the full 12 rounds and I’m ready to put him away in the first 10 seconds.”
He added: “I’m just looking forward to August 26 and proving what I’m saying and educating the world of what martial arts is and giving the fans and everybody a good solid fight and earning my respect in this game also.”
The 29-year-old Irishman is a sizable underdog in the high-profile, cross-sport clash, which doesn’t come as a surprise given his extremely limited boxing experience—this is his first official fight—and Mayweather’s undefeated record.
Yet,Brett Okamotoof ESPN.com noted UFC President Dana White believes it will be a competitive battle despite the large gap in experience.
“All these naysayers, let me tell you what,” he said. “This fight goes two ways. Either Floyd Mayweather runs around and does his style of fighting, defense, stays away from Conor and tries to not get hit. Conor will go right after Floyd Mayweather and try to knock him out. That’s Conor’s style. When have you ever seen a boring Conor McGregor fight?
“And then there’s the other side, where Floyd thinks that Conor is so weak at boxing he comes right after him. Speed kills, tries to use his speed and actually knock Conor McGregor out. I want it to be a good fight and I truly believe it will be a good fight.”
All told, the fact Mayweather hasn’t competed in nearly two years since his victory over Andre Berto in September 2015 gives McGregor at least a puncher’s chance. But knocking one of the best defensive fighters in history out inside the first four rounds would be a shocker.
Does Floyd Mayweather Jr. have any interest in serious training prior to his superfight with Conor McGregor?
Through the first three episodes of Showtime’s All Access: Mayweather vs. McGregor series on the huge event at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas …
Does Floyd Mayweather Jr. have any interest in serious training prior to his superfight with ConorMcGregor?
Through the first three episodes of Showtime’s All Access: Mayweather vs. McGregor series on the huge event at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas scheduled for August 26, Mayweather has done a lot more talking than training.
He has gone on about his money, his interest in getting involved in the strip club/gentleman’s club business, his desire to have fun and about his family, but when it comes to stepping in the ring and doing some serious training, that has not been one of his priorities.
Episode 4 unfolds Friday at 10 p.m. ET on Showtime, and Mayweather’s effort to prepare for the fight should be one of the more interesting aspects of the program. There’s no guarantee that he will step up his training at this point, because it’s clear that he will prepare in the manner that he sees fit and doesn’t care what others think.
“I am going to do exactly what I want to do,” Mayweather said in a previous episode. “Nobody is going to tell me what to do.”
The ongoing saga between McGregor and Showtime boxing analyst Paulie Malignaggi is likely to play out further. In each of the last two episodes, McGregor and Malignaggi have sparred to help the UFC lightweight champ prepare for Mayweather. The Showtime cameras were turned off for the sparring sessions, but McGregor has said he has gotten the best of the former fighter.
McGregor claimed in an interview with MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani that his most recent sparring session was a 12-round fight and that he won each round. Malignaggi has dismissed the claim on The MMA Hourpodcast and has asked for the tape for all 12 rounds to be released.
While that has not happened, a small snippet of Malignaggi going down to the canvas has found its way to the public. Even that is controversial, because Malignaggi says that his tumble is the result of a shove and not a punch.
In any event, it is clear that McGregor has used his time to train in a much more serious manner than Mayweather. He knows he has a huge opportunity coming up in a little over a week, and he is trying to prepare as best he can for the first official boxing match of his career.
Mayweather is taking his 49-0 record into the ring, and while he has not competed in two years, his defensive skills are not likely to have waned. While he may not be as quick as he was in his prime, it’s difficult to conceive of McGregor gaining enough skill to challenge him successfully.
The countdown to the megafight is starting to reach the critical stage.
Just 10 days away from his epic showdown against Floyd Mayweather Jr., Conor McGregor spoke with reporters on a conference call about his professional boxing debut and to silence any of the doubters about his chances to pull off the major upset.
…
Just 10 days away from his epic showdown against Floyd Mayweather Jr., Conor McGregor spoke with reporters on a conference call about his professional boxing debut and to silence any of the doubters about his chances to pull off the major upset.
One of the big questions leading up to the fight was answered Wednesday when ESPN’s Brett Okamoto passed along word the Nevada State Athletic Commission approved the request to let Mayweather and McGregor wear eight-ounce gloves.
“I’m very happy with the way the NSAC handled it today,” McGregor said during the call, via MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani. “They were very fair throughout.”
McGregor also held firm in his belief that the fight won’t go past the second round now that he gets to use a lighter glove than the traditional 10-ounce ones used in a fight contested at 154 pounds.
“There is no way in hell that I’m not ready to fight in the deepest of trenches,” McGregor said, via MMA Fighting. “I don’t believe he makes it out of the second.”
Another key piece of business announced by the NSAC was Robert Byrd being given the task of serving as referee; Burt Clements, Dave Moretti and Guido Cavalleri were chosen as the judges who will score the bout, per Steven Marroccoof MMA Junkie.
McGregor had no criticism for Byrd or any of the judges selected or the process used to choose each of them, per ESPN’s Dan Rafael.
“Byrd is a good ref,” the UFC superstar said, via MMA Fighting. “He lets the fight take place. He has some links to MMA. His wife is an MMA judge.”
Moving onto Mayweather, the man who will be standing on the opposite side of the ring trying to knock him off his perch, McGregor isn’t intimidated by stepping into his opponent’s world to determine the better fighter.
“I do not care about his record,” he said, per Rafael. “I do not care about his achievements.”
In addition to not caring about Mayweather’s record or achievements, McGregor laid into anyone who doesn’t believe his ability will translate to boxing.
“The disregard and disrespect of my skillset, their minds are closed,” said McGregor, via MMA Fighting. “I look forward to going in and educating.”
Addressing his normal day job as a UFC fighter, McGregor said he still believes himself to be both the promotion’s featherweight and lightweight champion. He was the first person in UFC history to hold two titles simultaneously after beating Eddie Alvarez for the lightweight belt last November.
However, as a result of his inactivity in the division, McGregor was stripped of the featherweight title. He still holds the lightweight title, despite not defending it since his victory over Alvarez.
McGregor issued a challenge to Mayweather while throwing the undefeated boxing star’s own words back at him:
Even though the odds of Mayweather ever stepping into the Octagon are virtually non-existent, McGregor was able to talk himself into a boxing match with one of the biggest stars in the sport.
McGregor lacks the experience and professional training going into the Aug. 26 showdown, but he’s doing everything in his power to make sure the world knows he’s going into it with his confidence high and is preparing to knock out Mayweather.
In an effort to prevent fans from illegally watching the fight for free online, Showtime filed a lawsuit that would prohibit certain websites from streaming Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Conor McGregor on Aug. 26, TMZ Sports reported Tuesday.
The stan…
In an effort to prevent fans from illegally watching the fight for free online, Showtime filed a lawsuit that would prohibit certain websites from streaming Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Conor McGregor on Aug. 26, TMZ Sports reported Tuesday.
The standard-definition feed of the pay-per-view will cost $89.95, while the high-definition feed will set fans back $99.95.
Promoters used asimilar tacticahead of Mayweather’s fight with Manny Pacquiao in May 2015. While the judge granted the injunction, theHollywood Reporter‘s Ryan Gajewskireported some fans began streaming the official feed on Periscope and Meerkat.
Gajewski speculated problems with the pay-per-view feed prior to the start of the bout may have meant more fans illegally streaming the event as well.
Still, Showtime’s move isn’t a big surprise. ESPN.com’sDarren Rovellestimated in June that Mayweather vs. McGregor could potentially earn $475 million in pay-per-view sales.
With so much money on the line, Showtime has little choice but to do what it can to limit fans’ available options to watch the fight outside of the official PPV feed.
The Nevada State Athletic Commission is set to decide Wednesday whether Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Conor McGregor can use eight-ounce gloves for their Aug. 26 fight. That request has been met opposition from the Association of Ringside Physicians. …
The Nevada State Athletic Commission is set to decide Wednesday whether Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Conor McGregor can use eight-ounce gloves for their Aug. 26 fight. That request has been met opposition from the Association of Ringside Physicians.
MMA journalist Damon Martin passed along the letter sent by Raymond Monsell, chairman of the board for the Association of Ringside Physicians, to the NSAC:
This article will be updated to provide more information on this story as it becomes available.
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There was a moment when it became clear Conor McGregor was an undeniable force.
It was a little over three years into his UFC run.
He was the reigning featherweight champion of the world and was moments away from becoming the lightweight champion as we…
There was a moment when it became clear ConorMcGregor was an undeniable force.
It was a little over three years into his UFC run.
He was the reigning featherweight champion of the world and was moments away from becoming the lightweight champion as well—the first man or woman to ever achieve simultaneous reigns in separate divisions in UFC history.
At UFC 205, the promotion’s long-awaited debut in New York City, which emanated from the vaunted Madison Square Garden, McGregor headlined against Eddie Alvarez. Alvarez, for his part, was a worthy adversary in every way, a stalwart who could wrestle and box and had gone 28-of-32 in MMA fights before that night.
McGregor appeared unruffled, however.
Entering the cage, he strutted and swayed about, arms swinging exaggeratedly as if to exude a looseness he apparently felt down to his core. It was the pinnacle of physical confidence, this ability to make something so silly into a foreshadowing of the swaggering way he’d dispatch Alvarez moments later.
What’s more, he aped it from pro wrestling icon Vince McMahon. The “Billionaire Strut” was once a staple of McMahon’s villainous on-air persona. In a way, you can’t get much more absurd than that.
Yet McGregor embraced the absurdity. He doubled down on a mink coat (Note: linked article contains NSFW language) he’d worn days prior at the event’s pre-fight press conference.
“I’m thinking Vince McMahon must be pissed,” he said during a pay-per-view interview in January 2017. “I stole that walk, and that walk is now mine. That’s my walk. I created that walk. I made that walk.”
And it is.
It’s his because while McMahon was doing it for years, it was only after McGregor broke it out moments before his crowning athletic achievement that you started seeing other celebrities and athletes aping him.
That was the moment you could no longer ignore McGregor’s unfathomable rise in modern sports culture. Seeing global superstars pinch his act in the name of coolness cemented him as an icon, an inspiration to some and an attention-grabber to all. It’s what’s made him a cultural force well before his 30th birthday.
Ten months after arriving at the highest levels of the sports world, McGregor has used his exploding fame to land one of the biggest paydays in boxing history—and the biggest payday ever collected by an MMA fighter.
He’ll fight Floyd Mayweather Jr. on August 26 in a contest that should net him $100 million despite his never having competed in professional boxing.
The notion that it’s happening is a testament to how much people want to see McGregor in action. Yes, he’s fighting the biggest draw in boxing history and that’s where much of the money is coming from, but Mayweather was retired before McGregor came along and drew him back in for one more enormous payout.
“We’re not here to cry about money. I’m tired of all this crying about money and talking about [how McGregor wants] to fight,” Mayweather said on a media tour earlier this year, per FightHype.com (Warning: video contains NSFW language). “[He’s] blowing smoke up everybody’s ass.”
He continued: “If [he wants] to fight, sign the paperwork, let’s do it. Today, I’m officially out of retirement for ConorMcGregor. We don’t need to waste no time.”
They didn’t. The bout was announced in June, a mere 10 weeks out from it happening, the ultimate sprint to fight night. As has been known to happen, McGregor got his way when most thought it impossible.
A big part of McGregor’s rise through the ranks and into prominence has been linked to his cultivation of an image.
He’s a modern athlete for modern times in that sense, speaking in shareable quotes and soundbites, blending streetwise wisdom with inspirational philosophy, using Twitter and Instagram to display decadence and opulence that the famous relate to and the proletariat aspires to.
As Jeremy Botter of Bleacher Report put it in July 2015, “[McGregor] is a quote machine, always good for a headline. He says things few others in the sport of mixed martial arts will, and he takes direct aim at current and future opponents with a razor-sharp tongue.”
A quick scroll through McGregor‘s social media accounts shows him shopping on Rodeo Drive, bragging about having statues made in his image or modeling some variety of clothing or car that only the most confident men on Earth would be caught dead in.
He’s shown up at events in a gaudy mink coat, something that looked like it came off of a polar bear but still managed to have a dragon emblazoned across it and, of course, the instantly famous “f–k you” suit he rocked for his first public meeting with Mayweather.
He makes no apologies for who he is, and he makes sure the masses know about it every step of the way. It’s the type of shrewd maneuvering uniquely tailored to his era, where everyone is connected by a device in their pocket or on their desk or in their lap and they can voyeuristically watch his rise to the top whenever they fancy.
Love him or hate him, there is no ignoring him.
The inability to ignore McGregor has blossomed into full-blown fascination with him now, in sports and beyond. The rich and the famous will be ringside to see him fight Mayweather, and people all over the planet will plunk down $100 to watch him do the same from their homes.
It’s reasonable to expect McGregor, win or lose, will use the opportunity he’s created for himself on August 26 to transcend sports culture and bleed over into the mainstream going forward.
It’s been a meteoric rise the likes of which has almost never been seen in sports, and it’s culminated in circumstances that would never have been possible at any other point in history. It also wouldn’t have been possible with any other athlete.
McGregor understands what it takes to be great in his craft, but he also understands what it takes to be great outside of it. He’s exploded from the shackles of the UFC to become a one-man enterprise, an athlete and promoter who’s the richest in his sport and looking to become the richest, period.
If his bank account continues to grow like his profile has, before long there’ll be nothing absurd about his Billionaire Strut at all.
UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor said he’s planning to “break” Floyd Mayweather Jr. within four rounds during their highly anticipated boxing match next week at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.