Trump will water down Dodd-Frank
President Trump will sign an executive order to water down the 2010 Dodd-Frank financial regulatory framework put into effect in response to the financial crisis. White House National Economic Council Director Cohn:
Americans are going to have better choices and Americans are going to have better products because we’re not going to burden the banks with literally hundreds of billions of dollars of regulatory costs every year.
Steps down from Trump advisory board
Kalanick steps down from President Trump’s economic advisory group after criticism from his staff and the public. Kalanick:
Joining the group was not meant to be an endorsement of the President or his agenda but unfortunately it has been misinterpreted to be exactly that. Earlier today I spoke briefly with the president about the immigration executive order and its issues for our community. The implicit assumption that Uber (or I) was somehow endorsing the Administration’s agenda has created a perception-reality gap between who people think we are, and who we actually are.
Twitter staff donate $1m against Trump immigration order
Nearly 1,000 Twitter employees donate more than $500,000, to the American Civil Liberties Union, to fight Trump’s temporary ban on refugees and immigrants from seven Muslim-majority countries. The donations are matched by CEO Dorsey and Chairman Kordestani. Twitter lawyer:
Our work is far from done. In the coming months we’ll see a flurry of legal challenges, legislative pushes and public pronouncements. But as long as civil liberties are threatened, I’m proud to know that as individuals we will stand up to defend freedom and look after people.
Pregnant with twins
Beyoncé announces she’s pregnant with twins on Instagram.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BP-rXUGBPJa/
Trump fires Yates
Trump fires Yates for her refusal to defend his executive order closing the nation’s borders to refugees and people from seven predominantly Muslim countries. The president replaces Yates with Dana J. Boente, the United States attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, saying that he would serve as attorney general until Congress acts to confirm Senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama. In his first act in his new role, Mr. Boente announced that he was rescinding Yates’s order. Administration statement:
The acting Attorney General, Sally Yates, has betrayed the Department of Justice by refusing to enforce a legal order designed to protect the citizens of the United States. This order was approved as to form and legality by the Department of Justice Office of Legal Counsel. Ms. Yates is an Obama Administration appointee who is weak on borders and very weak on illegal immigration. It is time to get serious about protecting our country. Calling for tougher vetting for individuals travelling from seven dangerous places is not extreme. It is reasonable and necessary to protect our country.
Buys drinks for his travelling Jackal Army
Frampton buys drinks for his travelling fans at an Irish-themed bar in Las Vegas.
I am down in the dumps, but I am not going to not turn up because I lost the fight. The people who came out here have been amazing and I appreciate it. It is very humbling – we took over that arena last night.
100-people brawl breaks out after McGregor Q&A
Over 100 people are involved in a brawl outside Manchester’s EventCity at 4am, after McGregor finishes his Q&A with Ariel Helwani. Several fans are injured, with one man is in hospital with serious head injuries. Witness:
Hi, just been past EventCity and there is all police in the car park, part of it is cordoned off, quite a few police vans and cars.
Report: McGregor turned down Wrestlemania appearance
The Sun reports that WWE representatives approached McGregor with a multi-million dollar offer to make an appearance at Wrestlemania in April, but were unsuccessful. Source:
WWE has made no secret of its desire to do something with Conor McGregor and there were talks between the two parties about this year. Because he’s taking time off from the UFC, there was a talk about doing something at this year’s Wrestlemania in April, but it wasn’t to be despite a hefty offer.
Buys Rolexes for sisters
McGregor posts to Instagram after buying Rolex watches for his sisters.
Fxxk it it’s Friday….
https://www.instagram.com/p/BPxa_OHAfNe/
McGregor ‘trying to break into Hollywood’
The Sun reports that McGregor has held a number of high level meetings with producers as he bids to break into movies, and has a big action role lined up. Source:
Conor really wants to start doing movies. He’s doing everything in his power to break into Hollywood. There has been a good deal of interest in him already and he thinks the time is right to start branching out. There’s been talk of a part in a big action movie and he’s held a number of meetings with producers, so it looks like there’s something in the pipeline. Conor would be a natural fit for a big Hollywood blockbuster.
McGuigan: McGregor lacks financial ability to take on Mayweather
McGuigan, currently training Michael Conlan in Las Vegas, writes about the financial aspects of a Mayweather-McGregor fight.
I can understand how Mayweather would be dismissive. Dana White’s guarantee of $50 million split down the middle does not reflect the power or the value of the respective sports. Mayweather would not get out of bed for $25 million, and McGregor’s record purse to date is the $3m banked for his fight against Nate Diaz. Clearly McGregor needs Mayweather more than Pretty Boy needs him. Indeed this is as much a challenge to UFC as it is to Mayweather, with McGregor unhappy with the money that filters down his way from a sport that changed hands for $4 billion dollars last summer. It is a pity McGregor quit boxing in favour of mixed martial arts as a kid in Dublin. You can see just by looking at him that he would have made a decent boxer if he had been exposed to the right environment and given an opportunity to develop.
Report: Diaz in talks with Mayweather to join TMT
After Diaz says he intends to get a boxing license:
I’m not doing it for a publicity stunt, I’m doing it because I love the sport of boxing. I want to win, I want to win fights for real and get out of this MMA shit that I’m not even into anyway.
BJPenn.com’s Chris Taylor confirms with sources that Mayweather has reached out to Diaz about joining ‘The Money Team’ (TMT).
A source close to the Mayweather camp has told me that Floyd Mayweather has reached out to Nate Diaz about joining TMT (The Money Team)
— Chris Taylor (@CTaylor_96) January 18, 2017
Garbrandt, Dillashaw set as coaches for TUF 25
Garbrandt and Dillashaw are announced as opposing coaches on The Ultimate Fighter season 25. The two will lead two teams as the series returns to TV in April 19th/ Garbrandt will represent Team Alpha Male, while Dillashaw will represent Team Elevation. The UFC has labelled the season ‘TUF: redemption’.
Arabic tattoo meaning revealed
The Sun reveals the meaning of an Arabic tattoo that McGregor got on his leg during a drunken holiday in Ayia Napa, when he was 20. Previously, McGregor had claimed not to know the meaning.
This was when I was drunk. That was my first. It could mean anything. Arabic writing was the thing for a while, it was the cool thing to do. I was following the trend back then. Maybe one day I’ll get that covered up, I don’t know. I got it in Ayia Napa. It was like a party kind of… I was young and on holiday. It cost me €20.
According to the paper, the Arabic writing says ‘Cancer’, which fits McGregor’s star sign, which is on July 14. The Cancer star sign runs from June 20 – July 22.
Kavanagh accepts Coach of Year award, falls off hoverboard
Kavanagh thanks The MMA Hour and Helwani for awarding him the Coach of the Year in a Twitter video that goes awry at the end, as he falls off a Hoverboard.
Thank you so much for this great honour. I know the competition was tough after such a big year in MMA. I want you to know that winning these awards hasn’t changed anything for us — we’re still just a small humble team from Ireland.
The ending wasn't quite as smooth… #TheMMAHour awards pic.twitter.com/zb5DKIcsgP
— Coach JK (@John_Kavanagh) January 2, 2017
Russian MMA fighter shot, beaten and choked in ‘row over Conor McGregor’
Mirzaev, a Russian fighter with 17 wins out of 18 contests, is ambushed as he left his home in Moscow on New Year’s Eve. He is shot three times with a high-powered BB gun, including once in the face, in Moscow, as well as being beaten with a baseball bat and choked with a chain. Items were also stolen from his house. Mirzaev is in a stable condition after surgery to remove the bullets. According to a source, the argument got started when Mirzaev was in a club with Lobov, who trains with McGregor. The fighters were taunted by men from Dagestan in southern Russia who said McGregor was afraid to face undefeated Dagestani fighter Nurmagomedov. Nightclub staff stopped a full-blown brawl but the men “decided to finish the job” and were “waiting at his house”. However Lobov, denies the claims and the attack remains under police investigation:
I did meet [Mirzaev] in Russia. I am so shocked that this happened to him but [it’s] nothing to do with me.
Garbrandt storms out of Cruz head-to-head interview
Garbrandt storms out of a head-to-head interview with Cruz after talk between the two turned to Garbrandt’s girlfriend and Cruz commenting on her Instagram. Cruz:
Keep your fling on a string. She shouldn’t be hollering at me on social media. Keep her to yourself. As far as I’m concerned, I did you and her a favor. She obviously wears the pants in the relationship or else she wouldn’t be having to defend you.
Garabrandt:
I’ll come across there right now. You’re a room away.
Cruz:
C’mon, turd. Let’s go…He has to do this, because this is what an alpha, a savage does.
Report: Diaz offered interim title fight with Nurmagomedov
With Tony Ferguson appearing to drop out of UFC 209, Anna Jane Kesington reports that the interim title fight with Nurmagomedov has been offered to Diaz.
Nate Diaz has been offered an interim title fight with Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 209. The fight was originally offered to Tony Ferguson, but he was asking for too much money.
Nunes cancels lunch due to illness
Nunes cancels a media lunch due to illness. It is reported that she will have recovered by the time of her fight with Rousey, in two weeks.
Amanda Nunes was supposed to at the UFC 207 media lunch in LA, but UFC said she’s a bit under the weather. Should be fine for fight, though.
— Marc Raimondi (@marcraimondi) December 20, 2016
McGregor painting stolen
O’Loughlin, an Irish painter, says a large print of McGregor was taken from the Balla Bán Art Gallery in the Westbury Mall near Grafton Street on Sunday, and that Christmas shoppers possibly witnessed the theft.
I just got a call from the gallery yesterday to say, [the person worked there] turned his back to chat to someone and when he looked back it was gone. It is not a small painting, so surely somebody saw the person with it. It is a hard thing to carry around without being noticed. Of course I am annoyed, but I am relieved it was not the original. It took three and a half months to paint with the tattoo taking a good proportion of that. We don’t do many prints, so it is frustrating. I don’t hold out much hope of getting it back unfortunately. The print would have been around €300. [For the original] I’ve been offered €7,000 for it but turned it down. I would like to hang on to it, unless of course Conor himself came looking for it.
Would love to catch the f**k@r who stole my Conor McGregor from the @BallaBanArt gallery in the Westbury mall.If u saw anything let me know pic.twitter.com/2g0wT9fgmT
— Niall O'Loughlin Artist (@nialloloughlin) December 19, 2016