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19 Mar, 2017

Comment: McGregor stole Conlan’s spotlight

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Jack O’Toole of The Independent says McGregor stole Conlan’s spotlight.

McGregor has forged his star on seizing the moment, whether that be dispatching former Featherweight champion Jose Aldo within 13 seconds, or sending Twitter into a frenzy with his ‘thanks for the cheese’ retirement tweet last year, McGregor has always demonstrated an ability to capitalise on his surroundings. However, on Friday in New York, he pushed his own brand at the expense of Michael Conlan’s, as the only time the Crumlin native was out of the spotlight was seemingly between bells, when Conlan, Tim Ibarra and referee Benjy Esteves where the only three people permitted to be inside the ring. But even during the fight McGregor was the centre of attention, as he was forced to move from Conlan’s corner to the opposite side of the ring where he was given a folding chair to sit on by arena security, which was akin to giving a child sunscreen in Spain, you can try, but naturally, they’re going to be reluctant at your proposals, even if it’s the best thing for them…[McGregor’s] shadow looms large, Conlan, and the press certainly know that, but if you open the door to the wolf, don’t be surprised when he works his way right into the hen house.

24 Mar, 2017

Rogan: McGregor could be the ‘touch of death’ for Mayweather

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Rogan says McGregor is dangerous to Mayweather.

Mayweather is a way better boxer. There’s just no doubt about it. He’s one of the greatest boxers, if not the greatest boxer that has ever lived…But that said, Conor McGregor is not incompetent. He’s very dangerous. Floyd Mayweather’s a way better boxer, but Conor McGregor is dangerous as f-ck and he has a really deceptive ability to move in and move out. He can cover distance very quickly and he can do so in a weird way. But if Floyd can figure him out and start using his jab and using his movement – see, Floyd has traditionally had problems with southpaws but he’s never lost to one…That’s a freak athlete and those come along and when those come along, if they’re smart too, and then they’re really good at learning the sport too, a lot of people are f-cked. And that’s where Conor McGregor is. He’s a freak athlete in the sense that he has what Firas Zahabi [calls] it the ‘touch of death.’ That’s the best way to describe it. He just zaps people.

He alsolikens McGregor’s punch power to heavyweight great George Foreman.

McGregor is a freak athlete with a touch of death who just zaps people. Look at the way Foreman hit [people]… his single-shot power-punch was so extraordinary that hardly anyone could stand in front of him.Foreman was so scary. So these freak athletes come along and when they’re smart and learn the sport, a lot of [opponents] get f-cked. That’s where Conor McGregor is.

30 Mar, 2017

Opinion: McGregor is turning into everything he used to hate

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30 Jun, 2017

Fans and experts compare McGregor-Mayweather training videos

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After McGregor and Mayweather release training videos, fans debate the relative merits of each fighter. Mirror Online boxing expert Martin Domin says that fans should not read too much into the comparison.

Ignoring the fact for a moment that there will be no punch bags in the ring come August 26 (unless Conor McGregor really does take a beating), there is an enormous difference between the two workouts. Floyd Mayweather is hitting a floor-to-ceiling speed ball which is designed to improve a fighter’s hand-eye co-ordination. Surprisingly enough, it also looks good when filmed and posted on Instagram. McGregor on the other hand is using first an uppercut bag followed by a standard punch bag, and it’s fairly evident he is working on shot execution and placement rather than trying to dazzle anyone with his speed. If you truly believe McGregor couldn’t look good on a speedball, you’re in the wrong game.

17 Jul, 2017

Robin Black breakdown: McGregor can disrupt boxing

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MMA analyst Robin Black releases a video, with his take on the McGregor-Mayweather fight, where he suggests that McGregor’s greatest asset in this fight is that he is not immersed in boxing or influenced so strongly by its rigid nature or traditions.

Disruption never comes from within. Every disruption is caused from the outside because everybody on the inside buys into the bullshit…Boxing is so far up it’s own ass, it’s so refined, it’s so specialized, and specialization bases itself on the fact that we all just agree that this is how it is. And there are so many of these agreements that we just go through the motions and then somebody will come along and go, ‘What the fuck? Why are they doing this?…And McGregor has already done this, when he took out Aldo and he would have taken out [Rafael dos Anjos] exactly the same.

He adds that McGregor’s style has moved MMA away from the basic, give and take, Muay Thai approach that was prevalent not so long ago.

He already disrupted that, they don’t do that any more, none of the top guys fight that way. It doesn’t mean [Conor McGregor] can do it [in boxing], it doesn’t mean he can do it at all. But isn’t it cool to see somebody try? Isn’t it fucking cool? Try something so big as to literally disrupt an entire style?  And I’ll leave you on another idea; Bruce Lee said, and I’m paraphrasing, ‘It is always the individual who is more powerful than any style, or a collection of ideas or an institution, because these institutions are based on old truths, or mistruths, or former truths.’

24 Oct, 2022

Psychologist: Musk is ‘psychopathic and manipulative’

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Psychologist Desiree Silverstone says Musk’s recent behaviour and family upbringing has made him ‘psychopathic and manipulative’.

The back and forth (with Twitter) could easily be an ambivalent early attachment to his caregivers. You see it in friendships and romantic relationships – I want you, I don’t want you. People who grow up with trauma often create a false sense of self which is usually about control and power. When one grows up with trauma, the right side of the brain becomes very active and developed, The way the media portrays his treatment of his employees also shows that he doesn’t seem to have a great deal of empathy. That can be sociopathic or psychopathic. No empathy, very manipulative and a grandiose sense of self but can achieve great things because of it.

Silverstone says he analysis is just a “speculative hypothesis*.

4 Jul, 2023

Threads appears on app stores for pre-order

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Threads becomes available for pre-order on iPhone and Android, in advance of its expected launch on Thursday, July 6. Screenshots on the Apple App Store show that Threads looks much like Twitter: users can use their Instagram username to post text with or without images. Meta:

Threads is where communities come together to discuss everything from the topics you care about today to what’ll be trending tomorrow. Whatever it is you’re interested in, you can follow and connect directly with your favorite creators and others who love the same things — or build a loyal following of your own to share your ideas, opinions and creativity with the world.