Bud Light Living Challenge contest
McGregor, Rousey, Velasquez, Zingano, Dodson and Johnson appear in a video for “Bud Light Living” Championship, representing one fan each to help them win tickets for UFC 200. The challenges include timed can-crushing, a bottle-punching/breaking contest, a standup cutout punching contest, and the finisher challenge, which sees which UFC superstar can come up with the most creative finishing move.
Edgar: McGregor should be forced to defend featherweight title
Edgar says that McGregor should be forced to fight a featherweight to defend his title.
I think [McGregor] should have to defend it. He got to go do what he wanted to do and go up a weight class, or do whatever. It didn’t work out for him, and he should have to come back and defend it. But he calls the shots a little bit more than other guys, and I can’t hate him for wanting to get revenge and all that stuff. But of course it’s at my expense, so I’m looking at it a different way.
Hosting UFC 200 after-party
McGregor announces he is hosting a UFC 200 after party in Las Vegas on July 9.
Jones: McGregor forgets the UFC created him
Jones says that McGregor should not get a stake in UFC if it is sold.
No. No I don’t. The UFC has created Conor McGregor. I think sometimes he forgets that. But, he is a magnificent talent and we’re all glad to have him as a part of the sport. He’s bringing a lot of attention, and just so much more recognition. And at the end of the day, when he wins, we all win. So, I’m grateful for him.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=7yQABKvmVJs
Jones: ‘Foolish’ McGregor and Rousey believed hype
Jones says it’s important not to believe that you are unbeatable.
I know that I can be beat and I think that’s why I haven’t been beat, where some of these guys really start to believe their hype. Ronda Rousey, they were saying she’s the best fighter of all time and best athlete in the world, stuff like that and I was happy for her to hear those types of accolades, but once I realized that maybe she was starting to believe it herself, I knew she was in a dangerous spot. Conor McGregor saying these things about just being the baddest dude and ‘I’ll beat anybody at any weight class,’ that’s foolish stuff. When you believe the hype to that level, that’s when you’re in danger…People always ask if I’m competing with with Conor or Ronda. I’m not at all. I think there’s enough room in the sky for many stars. We all bring so much different things to the table, different demographics and viewership so I’m just grateful to be a part of of the conversation again of being top dog.
Will train with McGregor in Las Vegas
Wallace will travel to Las Vegas after McGregor spoke to Ireland’s bantamweight world champion boxer Michael Conlan about sourcing a tall southpaw with a substantial reach to mimic Nate Diaz. Wallace:
I’ve watched a lot of videos of Nate. He’s a tall southpaw and he’s very dangerous with the right hand. I’ve been watching what he does and I’ll be trying to do exactly that to help Conor to prepare for the fight. He’s doing all the right things now that he didn’t do the last time — sparring southpaws and working on a lot of different stuff that he didn’t work on the last time. He knows Nate’s strengths and weaknesses now so I think you’re going to see a different result.
https://www.facebook.com/conor.wallace.92/posts/1237040033008102
Kavanagh: McGregor 3.0 is stronger, more focussed
McGregor and Kavanagh talk about the fighter’s training program in a profile in the Irish Examiner. McGregor starts training at 1pm, with intense workout for over an hour. After lunch he spars with partners brought over from all around the world, finishing with more cardio in the evening. McGregor:
[For UFC 196] I was waking up late and training late, showing up here at maybe 2pm and still being here till one in the morning. Like a buzzing light. Buzzzz. I was never fully on and I was never off. I was just there. That’s not what this game is about. You need to be…[clicks fingers]…On.
Kavanagh admits he did not pay enough attention to McGregor’s training, and that the Diaz loss has helped them focus.
After the Aldo fight, I’ll admit in terms of training Conor, my foot went off the pedal altogether. I got caught up with stuff in the gym…It was supposed to be only for a week or two but it turned into six or seven and then I realised ‘We’re just two weeks out from this and I’ve barely done a session with Conor.’ Now it’s every day. We’re here at 1pm. Sharp…The only reason it didn’t happen for Conor in round two was because he got tired. That’s one thing that will not happen in this contest…The Conor that’s going out there on August 20 is an absolutely new model. This is Conor 3.0 compared to what went up against Diaz in March. And I’ve said it to Conor, whenever he’s fought his next few fights and he calls it a day, we will look at the first Diaz fight as the absolute most positive thing that ever happened to us because it taught us so much.
Lesnar manager: McGregor can’t switch to WWE
In an interview with ESPN, Lesnar’s manager, Hayman, says that McGregor cannot switch between UFC and WWE.
I would love for Conor McGregor to be a Paul Heyman guy…Conor McGregor could not walk between these two worlds or these two universes like Brock Lesnar. It’s just not a possibility. It’s what makes Brock Lesnar unique.
Receives custom boxing gloves
McGregor receives custom boxing gloves from iBox Customize.
Very good. No slack… I love the colors.
Earn The Title teaser ad
Rousey and McGregor square off at the start of a Bud Light ad teaser, called Earn The Title. The ad teases another commercial to be released on June 30, where two teams of three fighters apiece challenge for some kind of title. Velasquez, Johnson, and Dodson also appear, hitting a variety of inanimate objects.
UFC 202 Undercard announcements
UFC makes two announcements regarding UFC 200, which features McGregor-Diaz as the main event. In the welterweight class, Condit will return after a title loss to face Maia in a 170-pound fight. Johnson and Teixeira will fight in the light heavyweight class,
Danis: McGregor ‘worked his ass off’
Danis talks about his training with McGregor in Dublin.
I look up to Conor because he said he was going to do something and he went off and did it. He didn’t take any shortcuts, he worked his ass off. He talks the talk and walks the walk. He’s a good guy to learn from and be around. I really enjoyed him being around and helping him. Conor’s a great fighter, he’s good at jiu-jitsu. It’s cool to be around him, because he motivates you to be the best.
Kavanagh: McGregor ready for Diaz, not motivated by money
Kavanagh says McGregor is better prepared to fight Diaz than previously, with training taking place every lunchtime in his gym SBG Concorde before specialist cardio training in the evening. Specialist fighters from Finland, New York and Britain had been brought in to prepare McGregor to counter Diaz’s fighting style.
Nothing will feel new on the night. He will have experienced all positions and everything that comes with fighting someone of that build and style…If it was about money, he would quit doing this now and do one of the ten film roles he has been offered. If his motivation was his bank balance, it would be ridiculous to keep doing this, as his training is so hard. I wouldn’t bother training somebody whose number one motivation was money.
Kavanagh: McGregor will only fight Mayweather for 50%
Kavanagh says that the rumoured $100 million fight between McGregor and Mayweather would happen, but only if revenues were split evenly between both men.
There was talk that Conor would get $7 million and Floyd would get the rest of it. It will be an even share or Conor will not do it . . . There is no one generating the type of media that Conor i. It would have to be an even split. Conor is not going to take it if Floyd is getting more than him. Floyd needs Conor more than Conor needs Floyd right now.
Kavanagh said he believed that McGregor could beat Mayweather, despite the boxer having a record of 49 wins and no defeats.
Floyd is amazing. He is incredible. I don’t think there is a boxer who could beat him. He has figured out boxing, but Conor doesn’t move like a boxer.
Could ask for stake in $4bn UFC sale
Kavanagh says he expects McGregor to ask for an equity stake in UFC if it is sold. Kavanagh said “it is true” that the UFC was for sale, but he does not know the details.
Conor will have thought of this and I am sure, when he is sitting down with his new overlords, he will have that conversation…What will happen when it is sold, if it is sold? Short answer is, I don’t know what will happen the daily operations of it . . . it is a truly global company now. Like any big takeover, there will be a period of finding your feet again.
An Evening with John Kavanagh talk
To see the way that last fight went, I can’t live with it…The last fight, mid-round, I wasn’t listening, I wasn’t paying attention. That was one of the errors I made…I was a little bit heavy around the mid-section, I was over-trained and it came back and bit me in the ass…I’m looking forward to the rematch; to going back out and showing what we have learned…I’m working my nuts off for this rematch. Believe me on that. I’m feeling very confident that I’ll go in and toy with this man. He was one or two shots from being done.
Aldo wants McGregor fight after UFC 200
Aldo says he will follow McGregor to the lightweight division.
Not only would I like it, we are going after it. We need to make it happen. The first fight wasn’t as expected. Hopefully, we will win that belt – that needs to be my goal now – but after I reclaim it, I think about that. Not only me, but I think the UFC will do it. There’s nowhere to run.
Jeffries: McGregor-Mayweather will happen
Jeffries says that McGregor-Mayweather will happen.
I think it’s a possibility it could happen. People are saying it’s a circus and all that but I think it could happen. And why not? The biggest pay-per-view star of all time in boxing against the biggest pay-per-view star of all time in MMA. I would like to see it. With it being two different sports it might be (difficult). But I would really like to see that fight. I really would.
Alvarez: McGregor beat himself with overconfindence
Alvarez says that McGregor wasn’t beaten by Diaz.
Diaz didn’t beat him that night. Conor beat himself, his overconfidence. Moving up in weight with that overconfidence, that’s what made him lose. But if he takes things seriously, I think it will be a different fight.
Dos Anjos: McGregor can’t beat Diaz
In an interview with TMZ, Dos Anjos says McGregor cannot beat Diaz.
It’s hard to advise him, because Nate Diaz was on vacation when he got a call to fight him. And on less than 10 days’ notice he still beat him — now he’s got a full fight camp. [Conor can win] if he can catch him with the right shot, but Nate can take a lot of shots, especially at 170 pounds. Nate Diaz is a 55er, he’s a lightweight. But now he’s fighting at 170 — I don’t know why. But I don’t see Conor winning this fight, for sure.
