White: McGregor ‘obsessed’ with fighting Diaz
In an interview with ESPN’s Sportscenter, White says that he is working on McGregor-Diaz matchup.
We’re working on what’s next for him. We’re trying to set up a fight right now. It’s been a little challenging. Obviously the fight he would love to do is the rematch with Nate Diaz. I’m trying to get the deal done…Conor is obsessed with this rematch. I don’t know why, but he is. It’s just his type of personality. He’s obsessed with it. He’s obsessed with fighting Diaz again – at 170 pounds. I don’t know if [the fight] will ever happen, but I’m trying.
ESPN interview
McGregor talks to ESPN about his fight with Diaz:
What kind of fighter would I be, if I said, ‘Hey, I didn’t get you at 170, let me try to get you at 155. I’ll make my adjustments. I ate up to the weight. This time, I won’t do that. The first eight minutes of the fight was easy. Let’s be honest, I slapped the head off him. Once the gas tank went, that was it. I drowned. He landed that one punch that rang the bell and went, ‘[Gasp], I’m back.’ He was close to being done. One or two more shots and he would have been wrapped up. Swinging on gymnastic rings on fight week isn’t the best thing. Usually, I wrap myself in bubble wrap and only do fight specific things, but just because of that weight, no weight cut, I had put it in my head that, ‘I’m free.’ I had energy to burn. I was doing so much bounce footwork, the balls of my feet were burned to a crisp. Looking back, it was ridiculous. I don’t know what I was thinking. Look at me right now. Fish, red cabbage, asparagus — I’m nowhere near a fight and I’m on the clock with nutrition.
On the interim title fight between Frankie Edgar and Jose Aldo at UFC 200
The fight was my idea. I wanted to have my revenge at 170 and they’re crying and complaining about the 145-pound belt, which I just won three months ago. That division was killed, it was dead. Jose went down in 13 seconds. What more can I do? I traveled the world with that man. I finally got him in the Octagon and he only lasts 13 seconds. I didn’t see a challenge there anymore. So, I wanted to create interest from a fan’s perspective and my perspective. I want to see them two go at it, with an interim belt on the line. Then I will see people walking around my division with a belt and that will intrigue me. It will make me want that belt again.
Roach: Mayweather says fight is going to happen
Roach says Mayweather visited his gym, and told him to coach McGregor if the fight is announced.
Mayweather did come out to my [Wild Card] gym last week, and he asked me to take that job if it’s offered. He told me the fight’s gonna happen, and we’re gonna make a lot of money. I told Mayweather that it would take me at least three years to get him ready to fight you. Conor McGregor’s a tough guy, but being a tough guy doesn’t really help you much! He looks like an OK boxer, but he’s almost like a beginner…I do know that Floyd’s been training at one of my gyms, and he’s been sparring with some of my professional fighters, and I hear he’s not doing too well with my professionals.
Mouth Magazine interview
The band is interviewed by Mouth magazine, from their Manchester rehearsal rooms. They talk about the James tour:
We’ve been very warmly received by [James] fans and the band. The most we’d done on our own was 600, but the lowest for James was 2500 going up to 5000, and then 20,000 at the Arena. They couldn’t have made us feel any more welcome.
And new music:
Aaron: The intention is, for the Ritz gig that we’ll have a few tunes. We’re kicking around six or seven ideas that aren’t sort of fully formed yet. It’s usually me that holds it up. I wait for the last minute for the lyrics.
[soundcloud url=https://soundcloud.com/themouthmagazine/179-slow-readers-club width=”100%” height=”166″]
Diaz: McGregor-Mayweather talk cover up for an ‘ass whooping’
In an interview on MMA Hour, Diaz says the UFC is targeting the McGregor rematch for UFC 202. Diaz:
I’ll whoop both McGregor and Mayweather in the same night. Now they’re talking that Mayweather shit, it’s all a cover up. It’s all trying to hide the fact that he got his ass whooped and that they want to buy him more time to get better if we are going to fight. I think the Mayweather thing’s a publicity stunt…I’m the only one out of the three of us that will say I will whoop both of their asses in one night. Cause Conor can’t say that. Floyd definitely cannot say that. You want a real fight, put me with one of those boxers and I guarantee you I can beat them in boxing.
On fight negotiations with Dana White:
I said that was one of the biggest fights you’ve ever had on 10 days’ notice, and he’s the biggest draw that you’ve ever had and I just beat your biggest draw. So if you don’t mind, I would like to be compensated better than I was the last time or what they were trying to offer me.
Jeffries: McGregor can beat Mayweather
Jeffries says he was impressed by McGregor’s boxing ability.
He had really good boxing knowledge, amazing footwork, and he was very athletic and elusive. I thought his boxing was going to be amateur level, but he could beat a lot of professional fighters. Conor would beat some very high-talent professionals…I’ve totally changed my opinion. I thought about the [Mayweather] fight a lot. Conor, with how elusive he is and his style, he’s tough as well. What people don’t realise with Conor is that he’s got an iron jaw. Yes, he was rocked once by one of the best boxers in the UFC in Nate Diaz. He got caught with a solid right hand with a four-ounce glove. He got rocked, but who wouldn’t? I give him a shot [at beating Mayweather]. He’s fit, strong, has a tough chin, and one thing about Floyd is that he’s not a puncher, and they’re wearing bigger gloves. Floyd’s hardest fight was with Maidana. McGregor has a similar ‘rough’ sort of style. I don’t think it’s as one-sided as people think it is.
Carvalho’s death affected promotions
In an interview with ESPN, McGregor says he was deeply affected by the death of Carvalho.
I had f—— journalists knocking down my mother’s door, you know what I mean? That’s not what I signed up to do — have people knocking on my mother’s door, talking about a kid dying. It’s not nice to see a kid die like that. It does something to you. And there’s been show after show canceled in Ireland since that. It’s f—– up to be a part of it, and I didn’t want to bring it back up and put it more on a public scale. After all that, I did not want to be put in front of a camera and made to dance. I just wasn’t feeling it.
ESPN Sportscenter interview Part 2
In the second part of McGregor’s interview on ESPN Sportscenter, he talks to Mane about Mayweather.
I hear the boy talking. The leak came out. It was him that leaked it. He gets $100 million and I get $7 million. That’s a paycut to me. I don’t take paycuts. I thought boxing was where the money was at. $7 million is laughable. I’m also talking $100 million. Who doesn’t want to conquer both worlds? He’s getting old now. I have the size, I have the reach, I have the height. I have the youth. He needs me. I don’t need him. That’s the truth of it. He fights someone else in boxing realm, the pay goes from $100 million to $15 million. He needs me. If he wants to talk he can talk, but it’s me who’s in control here.
ESPN Sportscenter interview Part 1
McGregor is interviewed by Mane for ESPN Sportscenter. McGregor talks about the controversy around UFC 200.
It was a publicized civil war. I was going through some things, there was some crazy stuff going on back home…I didn’t say no to everything. I just wanted to do reasonable media. And then all of a sudden, we’ve got to drag you 40-hour flights to do a runaround — New York, Vegas, California – 70 press conferences, 70 talk show, adverts, all of this. I only made you $400 million last week! I need to get right. I wanted to focus, and I was deep in the process. I just wanted a little bit more time…And they weren’t havin’ it. They were trying to push back on me. I was trying to push back on them…and it blew up then.
On his Twitter announcement
It blew up! I was kinda having fun with that. At the start it was kind of half hearted. And then all of a sudden, ‘You’re off UFC 200!’ I was like, ‘well f-k you too then!’ Seeing it all blow up like that, it was amusing for a while. There was times, seeing the press conference taking place, I thought I should’ve just jumped on the damn flight, but sometimes you’ve gotta do what’s right for you, and not what’s right for everyone else. And especially if you’ve done what’s right for everybody else a million times, you should have the right to do something for yourself.
Red Bull interview
Marquez is interviewed about the 2016 season for Red Bull. On challenges so far:
At the moment we’re managing quite well, we’re only five points behind Lorenzo, but it will be a difficult season. The tyres are the same for everyone, but you have to work on the chassis in order to get the tyres working well. Then you have to work with the engine to ensure the electronics function well, and this is perhaps a bit more complex for us because we have a new engine, with the crankshaft rotation reversed for the first time on the Honda. For me, [things will become more consistent] next year. Perhaps it’ll be after the summer, with Brno and other races. I think we’ll be better, or at least will always be on the same or similar tyres each race. For now it’s normal Michelin continue to work and test them out, because there wasn’t a lot of off-season testing, even for them.
On team lineup changes:
It’ll be nice for the show, and to see what riders can do when they’re on new motorcycles. It’ll also help to better understand the potential of the bikes and riders. As for Honda, it’s a great team and the best solution was continuity.
Mayweather: I’d come out of retirement to fight McGregor
Mayweather says he could come out of retirement to fight McGregor.
If I do fight, it’s only against Conor McGregor … not against nobody else. Because this match-up is so intriguing. You have (a boxer) against an MMA fighter – one of the best MMA fighters to ever. Stand up and do it. He’s a strong fighter, and when I look at his fights, he’s a little faster than I thought he was…When he kick ass, he kick ass in a stand-up position. I think in his last fight, the guy (Nate Diaz) was too heavy. But, he’s going to be OK. I think it will be so entertaining, if we can do it. If we can put a boxer with an MMA fighter. I can’t overlook that guy.We haven’t made the fight happen yet, but if we could tweak a few things, I’m sure we could get him, not a good pay-day, but a great pay-day…I’m pretty sure we’re going to have a master plan to make that fight happen. It hasn’t happened, yet, but we locked down some dates, me and my team, in different countries, in different cities in the United States. And you already know what my number is, $100million. That’s just the guarantee. We don’t talk about my number on the back end.
Lamas: ‘I’d love the chance to punch McGregor in his mouth’
In an interview with Submission Radio, Lamas says he would like to fight McGregor:
I’d love the chance to punch McGregor in his mouth. So probably McGregor would excite me the most…[Promotion] is part of the job, man. I mean, I’ve never been able to get out of any media obligations. And I know that he’s had a lot more put on him, but they’re paying him the money to do it. So he needs to get his ass in there and do this stuff. He’s gotta promote the events just like everybody else. Listen man, we’re all in this to be champions. We’re all in this for the UFC to, you know, hype us up as much as they can. The more exposure we get, the better it is for our career. That guy (McGregor) is making money hand over fist. He’s got nothing to complain about.
Manchester Arena interview
The band are interviewed after their show,supporting James, in Manchester. Aaron:
The first gig we played in Bristol, I shit myself. I was like, I never want to do this ever again. What am I doing? We’d done our own tour before, but this was in front of a few thousand people that were cold. I just went into myself, but after a few shows it was alright…It’s been amazing watching James be so relaxed about it.
They also reveal that the acoustic performance on the tour was because David Whitworth’s twins were born.
Harper’s Bazaar interview
Trump gives an interview to Harper’s Bazaar Magazine about being pregnant with her first child.
She’ll be a daddy’s girl. I have a feeling they are going to gang up on me. I do have a bit of first time mom syndrome. I’m already on what I should be doing when she is three and when I should introduce new languages.
White: McGregor-Mayweather ‘impossible’
In an interview on on the Russillo and Kannell show, White says that a McGregor-Mayweather matchup is ‘impossible’.
Let me put it to you this way. Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather are in the same sport. It took how long for those two to fight? Now imagine how hard it would be to get [Mayweather and McGregor] to fight. They’re not in the same sport. Is this thing going to be MMA or boxing rules? Who’s getting the lion’s share of the money? This and that. It’s impossible. But like I’ve said, ‘Floyd, you want to fight Conor, call me.’
Roach: I was asked to train McGregor
Roach says he was asked to train McGregor.
They said, ‘will you train him?’ I said ‘Tell him to show up’. I like helping people. But I’m not going to train him to fight Mayweather. I’d have to train him for at least three years to get him ready for [Floyd] Mayweather…He’s a little green, but c’mon. He’s good at MMa, but come on…If you fight boxing rules the boxer will win, if you fight MMA rules the MMA guy will win…If he comes I’ll help him for sure.
Mayweather Snr: McGregor has ‘zero’ chance of defeating son
In an interview on Mayweather’s official boxing channel, Mayweather Snr. talks about the possibility of a fight with McGregor.
I think it would be bigger than Pacman and Floyd. You just wait and see.
On McGregor’s chances of beating his son:
Zero percent. I’m not going to say that it would be the quickest knock out of Floyd’s career. I’m not gonna say that. But it would be one of the most humiliating fights that anyone could see.
On whether the fight would actually be made:
Oh hell yes. It’s an easy test. You know what Floyd’s gonna do.
Nelson: McGregor shouldn’t cut to 145 again
In an interview with The MMAHour, Nelson says the weight cut to 145 lbs is so difficult that he would prefer to see McGregor continue his career at lightweight, which he says is a more natural weight class.
With 145 lbs, I know he can go back down and defend his title, no problem. I just think he doesn’t want to do that cut again. It’s a nasty one and I agree with him. I understand that. I would like to see him go to the 155 lbs division before going all the way up to welterweight but he’ll do whatever he feels like.
On the retirement tweet:
I think it kind of happened because he wanted to really focus on his training for this fight and he felt like going over there and doing all this media stuff was going to take away from his training and I think that’s the reason why he kind of had enough of that. Like he says, he’s done dancing like a monkey and he wants to focus on training. And I understand that…When exactly, I’m not sure but maybe UFC 201 or UFC 202. I would definitely put my money on him coming back and I believe the money is there as well.
Pundit Arena interview
Pundit Arena interviews McGregor in Iceland.
I’m feeling good buddy, I’m feeling good. I’m over here, I’m training hard and we’ll see how things go. I’m enjoying retired life for now. I’ve been sick of the cameras a long time. Yet here you two are!
https://vimeo.com/163876513
State.ie interview
In advance of their first Northern Ireland show, the band are interviewed by State.ie. On whether 2015 was a breakthrough year.
Yeah it definitely felt like a step up, in Manchester we have gone from playing venues like the Night and Day to selling out Manchester Gorilla. We’ve been touring a lot too and building our fan base in different cities, Sheffield, Glasgow, London and more recently Dublin have been great to us. We also played some decent festivals last year with Isle of Wight and Ramsbottom festival being highlights. We’ve had a good few plays from BBC 6 Music and Radio X in the UK and the support from TXFM Dublin has been phenomenal. Our single ‘Don’t Mind’ featured on Steve Lamacq’s round table. 2015 was fantastic but things have kept building this year too, it’s a really exciting time for the band and for the fans that have followed us.