Johnson wants million-dollar payday
After Johnson’s win over Wilson Reis he says an 11th defence would take priority over a bantamweight superfight with Cody Garbrandt or T.J. Dillashaw. He also says he expects serious pay raise no matter who he’s facing.
I already told Dana White: I need seven figures, you know? I need a million-dollar payday.
Cormier wants McGregor-Mayweather undercard
Cormier says he wants a rematch with Jones on the McGregor-Mayweather undercard. However, he says has not been involved in any talks about the fight.
Any human being that gets part of the Pay-per-view would definitely want to be a part of that. If you are on a card with Mayweather and McGregor, and me and Jon Jones. It would do ridiculous numbers. You’d get paid…I’ve won at every level. Beat some of the best guys in the entire world. And then, once I get through with Jones, I can do whatever I want.
Kavanagh: Mcgregor will not fight in Ireland again
At an event at Sydney’s Star Casino, Coach Kavanagh says that, despite hopes that McGregor would one day fight in front of home fans at Croke Park in Dublin, it most likely won’t happen.
I have to be honest, I don’t ever see him fighting in Ireland again. Just the time difference [between Ireland and peak American viewing time]. He’d be doing a 4am walk the way Alex Gustafsson had to do. Imagine Irish people from 8pm to 4am drinking and then Conor walking out … there’d be 80,000 people asleep on chairs. I don’t think that’s going to happen.
Findmypast uncovers McGregor’s tattooed, criminal ancestors
An investigation by Findmypast reveals McGregor’s ancestors were often sent to jail, and were also tattooed. McGregor’s paternal great-great grandfather Albert McGregor, who was born in Born in 1878 and lived in Kingstown (modern day Dún Laoghaire), was imprisoned in Dublin’s Kilmainham Gaol five times throughout his life. After serving a brief stint in the prison for possession of “concealed” goods he enlisted in the Royal Irish Fusiliers when he was 18, After leaving the forces in 1899 he was charged with assaulting his wife Mary, Conor’s great-great grandmother, and was sentenced to another 14 days. In May 1905 he was back in the jail for assaulting a police officer, and later that year got a scar under his eye in a fight with his brother, Ryan, although that did not result in incarceration. The following year he was back in jail twice: In April for a month for stealing a pound of bacon, and in July for seven days for public drunkenness. Army records show that Albert had three tattoos: His name on his right forearm, a large inking of a man’s head – possibly his own – on his left forearm, and a dot on the back of his right hand. Albert’s wife Mary was also sentenced to a week Dublin’s Mountjoy Prison for drunkenness in 1901, when she was just 22 and raising three young children. in 1905, she was sentenced to a further seven days for using “profane and obscene” language. In 1923 their son, also called Albert, was sentenced to seven days in Kilmainham for “feloniously stealing a quantity of cigarettes”, at the age of just 19.
Aldo follows McGregor’s trash-talking style
At a press conference for his upcoming fight against Holloway in UFC 212, Aldo says he is now willing to trash talk his opponents.
I think that this rivalry [with Holloway] is great because it sells more and gives us money. We’re going through a new generation now that is completely different than when I started in the sport. When I started, athletes fought for honor, respect, philosophy. Today, it’s not a real fighter. It’s this joke. If you don’t talk, you fight for nothing, you’ll be left behind…Rankings mean nothing, you have to talk trash. What drives this [sport] today is money, and that’s super normal to me now. I made a lot of money [against McGregor], and I’m thinking about it now. I think about continuing being champion and having my honor and respect, but it’s not worth being the good guy anymore.
Luxury car hire firm threatens McGregor with legal action over Rolls-Royce picture
McGregor is threatened with legal action after standing on a £240,000 Rolls-Royce Wraith during his Liverpool trip. ‘Lord’ Aleem Iqbal, who is one of the ‘Rich Kids of Instagram’, and whose father owns Platinum Executive Travel, the luxury hire company says:
It is not his own. When you own one Conor you can stand on it like Floyd until then you can lose your deposit for standing on mine.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BSvR2BwgwZ0/
Hearn: McGregor-Mayweather ‘the biggest boxing mismatch ever’
Matchroom promoter Hearn says McGregor is mismatched to Mayweather in boxing.
McGregor is one of the world’s best MMA fighters but I’ve got kids at York Hall who would beat him hands down in a boxing match. And he’s fighting Floyd Mayweather? That’s the biggest boxing mismatch ever. But if they need a promoter, give me a call. I’d snap it up.
Johnson to file complaint against Cormier weigh-in
Johnson will file a formal complaint about Cormier’s weigh-in. Johnson’s manager, Ali Abdelaziz says he immediately informed Dana White about the action before the match, but did not mention it publicly in case it affected the fight, which Cormier won. Abdelaziz:
Anthony’s rights were violated. We will go through the proper legal channels to fix this. Everybody saw what happened. How do you lose 1.2 pounds in two minutes?..We don’t want to take anything away from [Cormier]. He earned that win. But [Cormier] needs to give up 20 percent of his purse to Anthony. He had two extra hours to cut the weight and I think he probably would have made it — but as it happened, I don’t think he made weight…I understand New York is new to regulating mixed martial arts, but they’ve been doing boxing for a long time,” he said. “Everybody is trying to sweep this under the rug, but it’s not going to happen.
White not expecting Rousey to return to UFC
At the UFC 210 post-fight media scrum, White says he is not expecting Rousey to return to the UFC.
Ronda and I talk maybe once a week, once every two weeks. She has not said anything to me about a comeback…If I had to guess, I would guess that she would not come back.
White calls out Jeff Mayweather, Bob Arum over McGregor purse claims
At the UFC 210 after-fight press conference, White criticizes Jeff Mayweather’s and Bob Arum’s claim that the UFC would take a high percentage of McGregor’s purse.
What I would like to clarify is all the bullshit about the 80 f-cking 20 split. Jeff Mayweather? Come on, Jeff. Me and Jeff go way back. Jeff, are you the spokesman now for f-cking Team Mayweather? And Bob Arum? You piece of shit. F-ck you, too. What do they know about this fight? You want to know what they know about this fight? Nothing. Believe me, we’ve had preliminary talks with Conor and I’m in a good place with Conor and we’re going to meet in New York when he has his baby.
Jeff Mayweather: UFC wants 80% of McGregor’s earnings
Jeff Mayweather says McGregor has been offered an uneven split by the UFC to fight his nephew.
Last I heard, Conor McGregor has to take a horrendous split: 80 to 20 percent. [McGregor] would have to take 20 percent, if he’s allowed to fight. And the one thing is that Dana’s his boss. He’ll still make more money than he ever did, but at the same time … that’s a very tough pill to swallow.
Kavanagh: McGregor can beat Woodley easily
At an event at the Star Casino in Sydney, Kavanagh explains how McGregor can beat Woodley.
I’d fancy [Conor] in there with Woodley. He’s just another wrestler with an overhand right, and that’s the type Conor grew up knocking out. So I wouldn’t see a massive challenge in that. I would like to see Gunni get that belt. Gunnar Nelson will be the next SBG world champion.
Kavanagh: McGregor to return to MMA in the summer if there’s no Mayweather fight
At an event at Sydney’s Star Casino, Coach Kavanagh says McGregor will return to MMA if the Mayweather fight doesn’t happen.
What I see happening this year is the Mayweather fight, maybe the end of the summer or something like that. [But] let’s say Mayweather doesn’t want to do it, for whatever reason. Then I could see us fighting in MMA by the end of the summer, [for] the lightweight belt. One thing you’ve got to understand about Conor — and this might rattle your bones — is his motivation is not money when it comes to fighting. Right now, even with his ridiculous spending habits, he wouldn’t be able to spend his money by the time he retired. It’s not money that’s getting him up in the morning. It’s the competition. It’s facing someone he genuinely feels is a threat.
Kavanagh: Mayweather is a ‘dirtbag’
At an event at the Star Casino in Sydney, Australia, Kavanagh says that while he respects Mayweather as a fighter, he has none for him as a person.
I do think Floyd Mayweather is pretty much a dirtbag. He’s beat up his girlfriends…He just strikes me as a real bullying type character. He makes these guys fight endless rounds (in his gym) until one is badly hurt…just not a good individual. In saying that, that’s his personality. Technically he’s obviously a very, very sound boxer. I’m a fan of his skills but as a human being, the way he runs his gym and the way he carries himself…
Jones: Cormier’s weigh-in ‘One of the dirtiest things I’ve seen in all of sports’
Jones says he cannot believe Cormier’s weigh in.
That was absolutely nuts. I couldn’t believe what I was witnessing. If you focus on his hands you can see him looking down and balancing out his weight just right to make 205. What a clever trick. Pretty dishonest of him. The crazy thing was that it was allowed to happen. I would imagine there would have to be some sort of commission or something to go back and see this blatant foul play and address it. They just completely got away with doing one of the dirtiest things I’ve seen in sports.
Kavanagh talks about McGregor’s secret training
At an event in Sydney’s Star Casino, Coach Kavanagh says that preparations for a McGregor-Mayweather fight have been underway for some time. He also says the fight will happen in September, and if not, certainly by the end of the year.
It’s happening, 100 per cent. Before I came out here I had a sit down with Conor and we (put in place) a training plan. Right now he’s doing base level cardio training so that when I get back we can go into specific training. We have a ‘secret dojo’ set up with a championship-level boxing ring that will exactly mirror the situation when it happens. Where my gym is, the guy who owns my gym, owns the entire estate, and there’s a building — I’m kinda giving away a secret here — there’s a building at the back and he’s just going to give it to me until the fight is on. So we’re getting that kitted out. We’re going to make it into kind of a stadium with a full-sized boxing ring. We’ll have weekly or biweekly sparring sessions where we invite people in to make it feel like a fight and bring in different sparring partners.
What makes the Mayweather fight competitive? Well, Mayweather’s Mayweather, in terms of defensive boxing — I’ve studied Mayweather, I find this ‘Philly shell’ fascinating, how he’s able to keep himself safe — but everyone can be beat. He’s had trouble in the past with southpaws. Pacquiao got some good shots off on him. There were moments in that fight where Pacquiao could have done some things a little different. The way he was able to tie Pacquiao up on the inside — he’s not going to do that to us. If he tries to tie us up in the clinch, that’s not going to work. And [McGregor] has the death touch. If that lands, I don’t care if you’re Mayweather, Juneweather, Julyweather … you’re still going to go down.
White: McGregor-Mayweather to happen in 2017
White says the Mayweather-McGregor fight will happen in 2017.
I think you will [see it before the end of 2017]. Conor McGregor is having a baby right now. After his girlfriend delivers her baby, we will start working on this deal. I think we are actually there [in terms of the financial details]. I think we are in a good place. I just need to get together with him and finalize some stuff and then it’s on to Mayweather.
When asked if there is a risk to McGregor:
Absolutely and I think you have to look at it for instance, [seven] years ago, James Toney came into the UFC and fought and he got completely embarrassed in a minute and a half in another sport [against Randy Couture]…[But] If you sit down and talk to Conor McGregor, he’ll make you believe he’s going to win the fight. I’m fascinated to see how this thing plays out.
Alberto: McGregor ‘will be President of Ireland’ if he touches Mayweather
Berto, who was beaten by Mayweather in 2015, says that while he thinks McGregor can’t beat Mayweather, there is a huge upside for the Irish fighter.
Understand this, if McGregor comes in here and he clips that man – it doesn’t matter if he doesn’t win – if he catches Floyd, knocks him down or hurts him… like I said, McGregor can’t… unless Floyd just embarrasses him, if McGregor goes there and puts on a good fight, if he catches Floyd, he hurts Floyd, he drops Floyd, if he knocks Floyd out, oh it’s over! It’s OVER! McGregor going to be the president over in Ireland. He might be president over here. That should be crazy. I don’t know, man. Like I said, man, it’s the fight game. Anything can happen, so shit, if it happens, good luck to both guys.
White: McGregor-Mayweather will be ‘one and done’
White says that he is pushing back on those asking for more MMA-boxing crossover fights.
No, I don’t like the idea of opening up a bunch of different crossover fights. But you know, now this things been talked about so big it’s all everybody wants to talk about now, and my guys are saying they wanna fight that guy and other boxers saying they wanna fight this guy, no, this is going to be a one and done. That means the discussion itself can be refocused on the money men, McGregor and Mayweather, a fight that as traction builds continues to garner speculation and prediction…It’s an intriguing fight, it really is intriguing…If you break the thing down — and listen, everyone has their opinions, and I’m not going to say who’s going to win or lose — Floyd’s 40-years old. Conor’s 27. Floyd has trouble with southpaws, Conor’s a southpaw. Conor has knockout power in both hands, and Floyd does not. It’s an intriguing fight.
White on McGregor vs. Mayweather: ‘I almost feel like I have to make it’
White says he feels almost obligated to help get the McGregor-Mayweather fight organised.
This kid steps up. He’ll fight anybody, anywhere, anytime. A lot of people say it, very few really mean it. Conor McGregor, I call him the unicorn. I’ve never dealt with a kid like this. So for him to have this kind of opportunity, to make this kind of money, this type of a fight that people are so interested in worldwide, I almost feel like I have to make it…It’s a fight that people do want to see. It’s intriguing and obviously it’s a fight that Conor wants because financially it’s going to be massive for him. He’s a guy that I have a lot of respect for. This guy has stepped up at times when people were at his level would never step up. I’ve said this a million times and I’ll say it again — I’m the guy standing in the living room, I’m the guy on the phone when these guys are looking down the barrel of a new opponent a week before the fight and Conor McGregor doesn’t flinch.
