Diaz: White ‘making up shit about me’
Diaz tweets that White is making up stories about his fight offers. He says he hasn’t been offered any fight.
This f-cker can’t stop making shit up about me and I haven’t been offered any fights except the one laughed at.
This fucker can't stop making shit up about me and I haven't been offered any fights except the one Iaughed at 👊🏼🖕🏼 pic.twitter.com/7gRskEXEP9
— Nathan Diaz (@NateDiaz209) March 20, 2017
Manuwa wants to fight Haye on McGregor-Mayweather undercard
After defeating Corey Anderson at UFC Fight Night 107 Manuwa calls out Haye.
David Haye, let’s do this. Dana White, Eddie Hearn, let’s make it happen. Why not have a fight with David Haye? We’re two of the hardest hitters in London. I think that the fight makes sense. Conor wants to fight Mayweather, why not have me against David Haye on the same card?
Mayweather suggests Moscow for McGregor fight
Mayweather says that his fight with McGregor should take place in the Russian capital.
At the moment we have not signed any papers. But I hope that the match will take place in June. I want to give people the spectacle: the MMA world vs. boxing world. This fight can be organized in Moscow. I would choose Moscow, if I were asked today
Ferguson: ‘No way’ McGregor can beat Mayweather at boxing
Ferguson says that McGregor cannot breat Mayweather at boxing.
No way. Floyd’s just a different animal.
He also says McGregor does not want to fight him:
That dude doesn’t want to fight me directly. Conor knows exactly what he’s up against, and he knows I’m a force to be reckoned with. He can’t talk his way through this one. And the same thing with Nate. It’s a different scale with me…Well, why not? I mean, literally I was just fighting for the [interim] belt. I feel like I am a legit contender, I’ve got nine wins in a row, I’ve got X amount of performance [of the night] victories. Really, I’ve been putting in some work. I feel like I deserve it…If he’s all about business and being a punk he needs to vacate that belt but, I don’t know. If you want to box, let’s go. I’ll box you. That dude would get eaten up on his feet.
Post-Conlan fight interview
McGregor talks to reporters after the Conlan fight.
I’m the boxing guy. Watch me take over boxing. Trust me on that. No-one in this boxing game knows what’s coming. Trust me on that. When I step in there I’m gonna stop the whole goddam world…Trust me I’m gonna stop Floyd and you’ll all eat your words. The whole world will eat its words…I am boxing!
Austin: McGregor needs to learn more about what WWE fighters do
Austin says that McGregor should stop criticising WWE and learn more about what the wrestlers actually do.
The dude [McGregor] is a wrestling fan from way back and I love to watch him. But if anybody in the UFC or MMA world ain’t got no respect for pro wrestling, just the lifestyle and brutality of it, I would invite you to take your training camp to a different town and train in a different town everyday just like the WWE people do. Then go home on the couple days we give you, and then go back on the road, take that training camp and get ready for a big ass fight. When you throw the travel in, you ain’t got no posse taking care of your ass, you’re doing it solo. Go do that, do it for 10-15 years and then report back to me, because I want to see what the science and the lifestyle taught you about what the f-ck we do.
McGregor: ‘F-ck Floyd Mayweather’
McGregor talks about the Conlan fight:
Clean work. As he goes on he’ll get more comfortable under that pressure. It’s a different bubble in there, when you feel that kind of intensity. It was beautiful. Once he got loose, got the stoppage. Very, very happy with it. I wish him all the success in the future. We know the skills he has. Everybody knows how talented he is. He came through his first test. He’ll only grow and rise from it.
And hints that the Mayweather fight, which he says is close to signing, will not be in June:
F-ck Floyd. This whole boxing world don’t know what they’re gonna see when I roll in here. I’m unpredictable. Nobody knows what they’re in for. Everyone’s writing me off. There’s gonna be a shock. I’m ready. I’m looking forward. I’m excited. We’re very close to inking it. [Interviewer: For June?] No, well listen. I’m not gonna say no more. We’re very close, that’s it.
McGregor congratulates Conlan on win
McGregor congratulates Conlan after his third-round victory over Tim Ibarra. When asked if he will be seen in a boxing ring soon:
100%, we are very close…yeah we’re working on it but tonight is about Michael Conlan.
Michael Conlan wins by TKO in round 3 after a dominant display! @mickconlan11 @TheNotoriousMMA #ConlanIbarra 🥊 pic.twitter.com/jW8VsqNrfw
— Love Belfast ❤️ (@love_belfast) March 18, 2017
McGregor gives words of advice to Conlan
McGregor gives some words of advice to Conlan before his professional debut at Madison Square Garden.
It’s your night. There’s a lot of people out there, great energy. Stay calm in it. Feed off of it but don’t overfeed off of it. You know this. You’ve been doing this a long f-cking time. Go out and enjoy yourself out there.
White: ‘I’d never keep Conor from making that kind of money’
White talks about McGregor’s options.
I don’t know [when he will go back to the Octagon]. He obviously has a lot of opportunities right now. Tony Ferguson’s out there. The Floyd Mayweather thing is out there. We’ll see how this thing plays out. [Floyd Mayweather] is still a possibility. It doesn’t make a lot of sense for my business, but I’d never keep Conor from making that kind of money. [The T-Mobile booking] has nothing to do with the Floyd fight. [Conor’s next fight in the UFC is going to be for the 155 pound title]. That’s what it should be.
White believes McGregor-Mayweather will happen
During an appearance on Conan, White tells O’Brien that he believes the fight between McGregor and Mayweather will go ahead.
I do think it’s gonna happen. I think it’s going to be a tough deal, because obviously [there are] a lot of egos involved in this deal and a lot of people, so that always makes it tougher. On the flip side, there’s so much money involved. I just don’t see how it doesn’t happen…It would be boxing. No kicking, no elbows, just straight-up boxing, in a boxing ring with gloves and the whole deal. A lot of things make this fight intriguing but the reality is this — anybody who has ever seen Floyd Mayweather, he’s this big (motioning at his small size). Conor McGregor is huge. He’s 27 years old, he’s in the prime of his career. Floyd is 40. Floyd always had problems with southpaws, Conor is a southpaw and Conor hits hard. When Conor hits people, they go. Floyd’s definitely not knocking him out, that’s for sure. I’m not saying that Conor would win this boxing match but it sure makes it interesting.
Macklin: McGregor has ‘woken the sleeping giant’ of Irish fans
At a press conference for Michael Conlan, Macklin says McGregor has built up huge support with Irish fans.
The real star, the guy who’s really woken up the sleeping giant that is Irish fight fans, is Conor McGregor. Not a boxer, he’s an MMA guy. He has really shot to superstardom. He is the biggest star in combat sports. And Conor will be carrying out the Irish flag for Michael.
"For a long time, Irish fight fans have been a sleeping giant. They've been woken by @TheNotoriousMMA." – @mattmacklin. #TheConlanRevolution pic.twitter.com/tszJmHzsQF
— eir Sport (@eirSport) March 15, 2017
Bisping: Mayweather returning to boxing after being scammed
Bisping says Mayweather was prompted to return to the ring because he was the victim of a scam.
I was talking to someone in Las Vegas, and I heard that Floyd recently got scammed out of a lot of money. The number was very, very big. I don’t think Floyd needs the money, but he wants to replace this money that he got swindled out of…My bet is that the fight will happen. Will it happen in June? I don’t know, that might be a bit too soon.
White: McGregor-Mayweather ‘nowhere near being done’
White says that the fight between McGregor and Mayweather has not been finalized.
[It’s] nowhere near being done. There is no target date whatsoever.
Nelson: McGregor can beat Mayweather
Nelson, McGregor’s training partner, says that he has recently met MCGregor in the gym.
He’s more training boxing now, getting ready for the Mayweather bout. That’s the focus right now. He’s around but I didn’t train with him this time. It’s going to generate a lot of money. I think that’s the idea of it all. But I believe in Conor too. I have a hard time predicting exactly how this thing goes and how good Mayweather is at boxing compared to Conor. But I just know that Mayweather has struggled with southpaws. Conor is also bigger than him. Mayweather is almost always the bigger guy, except maybe when he fought Canelo. Conor has the reach as well. I think Conor could trick him in his own game. I’m just looking forward to seeing it.
Rogan explains how McGregor can beat Mayweather
Rogan says McGregor may have something up his sleeve.
There’s something about [Conor McGregor]. I’m telling you, there’s something about that dude. He’s got something going on. He’s got a little something extra special but he would need everything to line up. Mayweather would have to dismiss him as a threat. He’d have to not train hard enough, he’d have to not seriously consider the possibility that Conor connects on him and knocks him out. And then Conor would have to do some roughhousing. He’d have to hold him in the clinch. He’d have to hold him and hit him. He’d have to try and get off as many shots and bully him around and wear him out. It’s a possibility. He’s a much bigger man. He’s a much bigger man. If you compare the two of them frame-wise, if they ever do do it, and they’re standing right at each other, looking down at each other doing eye-to-eye, you’re gonna go ‘oh, shit.’ [Conor]’s a big f-ck. He can make that 145-pound cut when he’s on death’s door, but Mayweather makes it easy.
Mayweather to McGregor: ‘Stop ducking and diving’
Mayweather says McGregor will damage the reputation of the UFC if he avoids fighting him.
I’m out of retirement now just for Conor McGregor. Tell the ufc to let’s make this fight happen. I don’t want the UFC to look bad – because us boxers we’re not ducking and dodging anyone. So I don’t want Conor McGregor to duck or dodge me. He called me out. He acted like he really wanted to fight to happen. So let’s make it happen.
Mayweather: ‘Real men fight standing up’
Mayweather says MMA is not ‘real’ fighting.
We gonna fight standing up. Because real men fight standing up. I’m from old school. I’m not gonna kick my shoes off. I’m not gonna be between no man’s legs, wrestling on the ground. I’m gonna stand up and I’m gonna kick ass. That’s what I do. I’ve been doing this for 21 years.
St-Pierre: McGregor not the No.1 fighter in world
St-Pierre says that, while McGregor is good at attracting publicity, he doubts his fighting skills.
I believe Conor McGregor is the biggest draw for the sport in terms of popularity. But I don’t know if, in terms of fighting, he’s the best guy pound for pound. He’s the guy that makes the most noise, of course, but skillset talking, I don’t think he’s the number one guy. He’s the guy that makes the most noise, of course, but skillset talking, I don’t think he’s the number one guy. But he’s been proving a lot wrong in the last few fights, including myself, I was very impressed. We’ll see what the future holds for everyone.
McGregor and Mayweather want different fight dates
Despite Mayweather saying that he wants to fight McGregor in June, Conlan says McGregor wants to fight in September.
He says, September. It’s on. It’s done.
