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.
Feels more competitive than in 2015
Rossi says he feels more competitive than in 2015.
The important thing is to be strong and fast on Sunday afternoon at 2pm. This is what I’ve been thinking all my career. Last year I fought for the championship to the last race but sometimes in the race I wasn’t fast like Lorenzo and Marquez. This year it looks like I’m stronger even if it looks like I have less points. It’s a good moment, I like my bike, the Yamaha is very competitive, I like a lot the Michelin tyre because it’s something I used a lot growing up, so it’s something very familiar. I think we are there at the same level, very fast like Marquez and Lorenzo, but at the same time also [Dani] Pedrosa, [Maverick] Vinales and [Andrea] Iannone are very strong…But there is still 11 races to go, so the important thing is to work and try the maximum.
McGregor-Diaz presser set for July 7
UFC announces the UFC 202 McGregor-Diaz press conference will be on July 7 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
The #UFC202 Presser is coming during @UFCFightWeek! @NateDiaz209 | @TheNotoriousMMA | After #UFC200 Open Workouts!!! pic.twitter.com/C98pcNNRjK
— UFC (@ufc) June 21, 2016
Bulls trade Rose
In a multiplayer deal, the Bulls trade point guard Rose, to the Knicks. Bulls chairman Reinsdorf:
Knowing Derrick as I do makes this trade a hard one. Everyone knows him as the local kid who became MVP for his hometown team, but not everyone got to know him like I did. While he is a terrific basketball player, he is an even better person with a tremendous heart. I wish him the best of health for the remainder of his career, and I want to personally thank him for everything that he did on the court and in the community during his time with the Chicago Bulls.
Bisping: I’ll snap McGregor’s neck
Bisping says he would “snap” Conor McGregor’s neck if he ever moved up to 185 pounds.
Listen, a long time ago I had a bird that annoyed me and the bird had to go. The bird’s neck was snapped. I would also snap Conor McGregor’s neck in a similar fashion. Conor is about as high as this couch, and I’m a grand specimen – I’m 6’2 of prime British beef. Conor is Irish and about 4’2. It wouldn’t even be fair. I doubt you could even get it sanctioned. But Conor for his weight-class is amazing, he is the best, I love him, but come on.
Praises McGregor’s willingness to fight
White praises McGregor’s willingness to fight any opponent.
Conor McGregor doesn’t give a shit. I’ve been doing this for 16 years – I know who says yes, who says no, and Conor says no to nothing…People say I kiss his ass and do all this other stuff for him, but I f-cking respect the guy, who when you walk into his living room, he’s just waking up, eleven days before his fight, and he’s been training for a certain weight and certain opponent. I said: ‘These are the three options’. He says: ‘I’m going to train, let me know which one takes it’. I’ve dealt with very few men and women who say that.
Kavanagh on McGregor’s pre-196 mistakes
According to an excerpt from Kavanagh’s upcoming autobiography, the lack of cutting weight caused a lack of focus in McGregor’s team leading up to UFC 196.
Not having to cut weight for the fight against Diaz was supposedly helpful, but in hindsight it was undoubtedly a hindrance. Cutting weight may not be much fun, but it does serve as a reminder that you’re preparing for a fight. It focuses the mind and has been an enormous part of what we’ve been doing. Without that ritual, things were just weird. It left us all in an unusual state of mind. The routine we had established was suddenly absent. The need to cut weight gets the fighter in the zone and lets them know that a fight is on the horizon. If a person is starving, they’re in survival mode. It focuses the mind and taps into the reptilian part of the brain. When Conor is cutting weight, he views his opponent as an obstacle in the way of his next meal. It’s a primal thing. On the other hand, when you’ve eaten a good dinner, all you want to do is relax in front of the TV. The fire in your belly is replaced by food. Being stuffed isn’t conducive to maintaining a competitive mindset.
Kavanagh says another mistake was to stay in Ireland as long as they did, delaying the trip to the United States until just two weeks prior to fight night.
Two weeks isn’t quite long enough to spend in the US before a fight like that. We need at least three, ideally four…There were mistakes made and, as the coach, I’ll take ownership of them. We should have travelled out sooner. We should have maintained the same level of meticulous preparation and competitive mindset that we had become accustomed to. We won’t be tucking into desserts, driving around in flashy cars and f-cking about.
Buys family BMWs
In an interview with Irish Independent, McGregor’s father, Tony, says that Conor had bought the entire family BMWs.
Conor has a very generous nature, which he gets from his mother, and we realise that we’re very lucky. He came home from an American trip last year, and I saw this fleet of cars coming around the corner with him in the lead car, a black BMW 5 Series. I presumed it was an entourage chauffeuring him home, but he told me to hop in and asked if I liked the car? I said it was lovely and he handed me the keys and said, ‘Good, because it’s yours.’ He bought one for everyone in the family, which was really nice.
Wears Arai helmet
Rossi is spotted at Misano wearing an Arai Ram 4, camouflaged as an AGV one, with stickers on top, based on the design he used last year. Rossi has always been associated with AGV. The Japanese manufacturer spread the photos through social media.
Tweets support for Conlan
After Conlan posts an image of boxing boots that McGregor has sent him, McGregor tweets his support.
Thanks to @TheNotoriousMMA and @Reebok for sorting me out with these new boots! Can't wait to wear them in Rio #GOLD pic.twitter.com/NPHqD52k8A
— Michael Conlan (@mickconlan11) June 17, 2016
Looking good Michael!! That gold medal is yours my brother! #OlympicChampion #Rio2016
Thank you @Reebok! https://t.co/fFhmuCvZ37— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) June 18, 2016
Cerrone wants to fight Diaz
Despite trading insults with McGregor in the past, Cerrone says that he would rather fight Diaz.
I’d rather fighter Diaz over Conor. Everyone talks about that as the money fight, but people don’t understand. They’re like, ‘If you get that fight, that’s the money fight.’ [But] I’m under contract. I get paid the same whether I fight Patrick Cote or I fight Conor. He might make more money because he got pay-per-view. I didn’t do a good job promoting myself and making myself big and get pay-per-view money. I get the same $80,000 to fight anybody.
Edgar’s plan: Beat Aldo, fight McGregor at MSG
Edgar says that when he beats Aldo in UFC 200, he wants to fight McGregor in UFC 205, on November 12 at Madison Square Garden. McGregor would have to fight at 145 pounds.
You can’t write something better than that. Why wouldn’t Conor want to fight at MSG? There’s definitely a big Irish contingency in New York and it could be possibly biggest fight UFC history. At 145, he has everything to lose. At 170 he has nothing to lose, even though Nate is a ’55 pounder and they decided not to cut weight, so they can market going up two weight classes which is ridiculous since he’s a 55 pounder … at ’45, if he loses, he has nothing. He has a hard time making the weight. If he goes to 55 he’s not going to be in the title talks for awhile..
On Aldo:
I’m going to show up July 9 to fight. Whoever it may be. Obviously I want it to be Jose Aldo I think he deserves it and that’s the fight I want. Based on the fact I was close to beating him last time, so there’s a little revenge in the air and whatnot. To be so dominant for this long, and then to lose like that, Conor is worst guy to lose to in that fashion. He already let the world know before and he let the world know after. He digs better than anybody. Some guys get through it and some guys don’t.