Black responds to McGregor’s Predator comments
Black, Predator’s director, says that, while he thinks McGregor is a “great guy”, he wasn’t actually offered the lead in the film.
CONOR McGREGOR: great guy, nice as can be — NOT, however, offered the male lead. Boyd Holbrook holds that distinction. Just sayin'.
— Shane Black (@BonafideBlack) January 30, 2017
Kavanagh: I always knew McGregor would become world champion
Kavanagh says he knew from the first fight that McGregor would become UFC world champion.
It was very obvious from early on that Conor had this unusual set of skills contained in the one person. It’s tempting to talk about Muhammad Ali when you talk about Conor just from the showman side of things. There is a certain set of skills, as Liam Neeson might say, that are required to become the no.1 in this world. And certainly being very good at the sport is a huge part of it. But to have the x-factor, to be able to have charisma, to be able to speak on the mic and be able to deal with the heavy media attention, that’s something that I don’t think you can be taught. That’s something that’s in somebody or it’s not. I’ve seen it before with guys who are incredible in the gym but the can’t do it on fight night or they can’t handle the pressures of dealing with a bunch of interviews and so on and so forth
Silva: No disrespect, wants to fight McGregor for the challenge
Silva says that because he holds McGregor in high regard he wants to fight him.
First of all, I respect a lot Conor McGregor because this man changed everything in the UFC. Because I’m very respectful of Conor McGregor’s style. I think it’s a great challenge for my martial arts techniques. I don’t talk to disrespect Conor. I do it for challenge, for myself and the best stand-up fighting. I respect Conor and I think this is a great show, it’s a great fight for the rest of my life. For the rest of my story in the UFC…Yeah of course [I’m older]. I’m so happy because in my heart I have energy. I have a lot of energy. In my mind and in my heart and I talked to my family and my family gives me support to finish my contract in the UFC. I think I have the energy to fight for more years. I think maybe six or seven years but I have energy. This is more important. I have energy. I have passion and I love my job.
Sitenkov: McGregor cried after I beat him
Sitenkov – the first man to defeat Conor McGregor – says the Irish fighter cried when he was beaten in 2008, and that he is the only reason why he still fights occasionally today.
I believe [John Kavanagh] saw me as an easy opponent. McGregor was looking to extend his winning record and I was seen as a perfect opponent. He was physically bigger so they would have believed that he would overpower me. I was the first to submit him. The three times he has lost have been on the ground, so I think it’s his weakest point. This phrase, everybody keeps telling this phrase — that he was crying. It begins to sound like I’m bragging about it, so I don’t want you to write it that way, that I’m bragging about it. He was a teenager, 19 years old, he had his first defeat — it’s a normal thing that he cried a little bit.
Aldo: McGregor ‘doesn’t have a chance’ against Mayweather
Aldo says McGregor cannot beat Mayweather.
First of all, we don’t know if it will happen or not. there are a lot of things involved, mainly McGregor has a contract to follow so it’s hard to happen, but if it happens, I don’t think he has a chance. Mayweather has the experience of competing for years in the sport of boxing, so I don’t see how. Of course, it’s a fight, but it’s hard for us MMA fighters to go to a different world challenging one of the best in the history. I don’t see a result different than a win for Mayweather.
Sister: McGregor will be an ‘awesome dad’
McGregor’s sister Erin says she has been giving her brother and Devlin parenting advice.
Conor’s very excited. He’s going to be an amazing dad I have to say.He’s really good with Harry and he’s really good with Taylor, his other niece. We’re all really excited for him. Dee is brilliant, she looks amazing. She’s blooming. We’re just so excited now. We’re helping her pick out clothes. Because my baby is only just six months, we’re able to literally share things. I’m saying, ‘this happened to me’ and ‘this is normal’ so it’s really good. They’re literally going to grow up best of friends. At the moment his priority is obviously having a little bit of time out and being there for the baby which is really important.
McGregor impersonator plays Overwatch
A video is released of a McGregor impersonator playing Overwatch.
Manchester Q&A intro video
An Experience With…releases the intro video for McGregor’s appearance at the Manchester Q&A.
Froch: McGregor-Mayweather a ‘mismatch’
Froch says Mayweather will beat McGregor easily.
If that ended up being a boxing match between Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor, no disrespect to Conor McGregor, I like him but… McGregor against Mayweather is a mismatch. Let’s be honest. It’s too easy for Mayweather, I don’t even think he’d need to train. It’s difficult for top fighters, top boxers that are really really top level boxers, world champions, to get near Mayweather and land a shot. So, there’s no way a cage fighter is going to get in there. I used to spar with Dan ‘the Outlaw’ Hardy and a little bit with Semtex Daly. They’re from Nottingham, they’re cage fighters. If I get in a cage with them it’s game over for me. But they can’t box me. They can’t get near me. It’s different. It’s a totally different sport.
Mayweather Snr: McGregor a ‘caveman fighter’
Mayweather Senior says McGregor could not beat his son even if he trained him.
Brother, that right here is a no-can-do deal. I can’t make Conor McGregor turn around from being a caveman fighter, I don’t know what he is. I’ll let my son fight McGregor and I’ll take on his trainer, whoever he is. I’ll knock his trainer out, I don’t even know who he is and I will knock him straight cold.
Keeps fans waiting for 63 hours
The Sun reports that McGregor kept autograph hunters waiting outside his hotel for 63 hours. After his Q&A session, McGregor returned to the hotel at 4am, telling fans that he would sign for them when he left the hotel. However, he does not leave the hotel until Tuesday evening. McGregor posts to Instagram referencing the report.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BP-SAMOhe7e/
Gives his shoes a shout out
McGregor posts a video of fans trying to get in his Rolls Royce while he quotes 2Pac about his $750 Jimmy Choo “John” slippers.
The shoes are Jimmy Choo, and if you’re not down with Jimmy Choo, f-ck you, too!
https://www.instagram.com/p/BP8yeTOB7ba/
Ortiz: McGregor has ‘no chance’ against Mayweather or Pacquiao
When asked if he’d prefer to see McGregor fight Mayweather or Pacquiao, Ortiz says:
I want to see [McGregor] vs. Pacquiao. McGregor has no chance with either of those guys. That’s like comparing chess to checkers. Apples to oranges.
Henry: McGregor can beat Mayweather
Henry, Eddie Alvarez’s coach, says McGregor can beat Mayweather.
All credit to Conor that he hit [Eddie] from the beginning early and rocked him. It’s like I said, the swing that he has is unbelievable. I think he would have the possibility of knocking out Mayweather. He’s way bigger than Mayweather too. Boxers only cut about ten pounds, whereas Conor probably walks around at 173lbs. So he’s also a lot bigger than Mayweather too. I even think he has a chance of knocking out Mayweather if it was in the first three to four rounds. After that, I’d definitely give the edge to Mayweather.
Rogan: McGregor Promotions means UFC will be ‘star driven’
After McGregor announced that he has formed McGregor Promotions, Rogan says that the fighter will have more leverage.
It’s going to become what boxing is. It’s going to become that. It’s star driven…And when it’s star driven like that, guys like Conor who are legitimate stars, they have the leverage. And they’re going to manipulate that leverage. They’re going to utilise that leverage and we’re going to see what happens.
Lobov: McGregor will KO Pacquiao within two rounds
Lobov, McGregor’s training partner, says McGregor would beat Pacquiao should the Mayweather bout fall apart.
I think that’s a more realistic fight. I tell you one thing; before even Conor himself thought about fighting Mayweather, I was the one telling him that this is the fight to make. I was telling him that this is where this was going to go…I feel that Conor vs. Pacquiao is a good fight to make…I know Pacquiao will take the fight…I don’t want to disrespect Pacquiao, he’s a great fighter, but I think it would be quite an easy night for Conor. Pacquiao historically has done very bad with counter-punchers and Conor is one of the best counter-punchers on the planet. The range that he has on Pacquiao, he would just be hitting air the whole time. As fast as he is, it wouldn’t be any different. Conor’s footwork, his positioning, his elusiveness, his range — it would just be too much for Pacquiao. I feel that one would be over in one or two rounds.
Arum: McGregor fight ‘Easy for Manny’
Arum, Pacquiao’s promoter, says a fight with McGregor would be an easy one for his client.
Conor McGregor is a good athlete and he is the best at MMA but MMA and boxing are two different sports. So it’s a lot of talk, everybody is having a lot of fun about it and sure Manny Pacquiao wants to fight Conor McGregor in boxing. Any boxer would like to fight Conor McGregor because they would knock him out.
Because Dana White has previously said that he will not deal with him, Arum also says that he would excuse himself from negotiations.
That’s Dana White, he needs an excuse, Dana is a good guy but it’s all playing around. [I would exclude myself from negotiations] Absolutely!
Aldo: ‘I hope Conor gets f-cked’
Aldo claims he doesn’t care about McGregor.
I hope Conor gets f-cked, that’s what matters to me. I don’t give a damn about him. I’ve already said he’s shit, so what he does or doesn’t do, I don’t care. I worry about myself. I’m training to defend my belt. I want to fly higher.
McGrath: McGregor ‘a raucous, uplifting celebration of Irishness’
McGrath says McGregor’s success and the national enthusiasm around him reminds him of the support that the Irish football team experienced in their World Cup in the early 1990s.
What I most like about him is the way he carries himself as an Irishman. He plays the role brilliantly. Fair play to him, he’s making an awful lot of money while making people happy. I remember the first time I saw him in action. I was at home on my own, flicking across the channels. McGregor was fighting in Dublin. What I loved was his fearless gladiator shtick; he was pure theatre, a showman speaking confidently, articulately, and unapologetically about Ireland. And honestly, it sent a shiver down my spine. I was hooked..when I saw the number of Irish fans he brought to Vegas for UFC 202, it brought me back to the great days under Jack Charlton for the Ireland national team. Here it was again, sport offering a vessel for the nation to put its troubles to one side and just revel in the joy of identity, a raucous, uplifting celebration of Irishness.
Manchester Q&A behind-the-scenes video
An Experience With… events releases a behind-the-scenes video of McGregor as he arrives by private jet, travels to the venue by Rolls Royce, and greets fans in Manchester.
https://www.facebook.com/anexpwith/videos/1389615857750341/