Cormier: Lesnar bigger star than McGregor
Cormier says UFC 200 will be a bigger draw than UFC 202 because Lesnar is a bigger star than McGregror.
I think UFC 200 will undoubtedly be the most successful pay-per-view in UFC history. You have nine former or current UFC champions on the card. You have one of the fights just to start, the first fight of the night, might be either Diego Sanchez vs. Joe Lauzon or Takanori Gomi vs. Jim Miller. These are sick fights, and they’re the ones who are opening the curtain. T.J. Dillashaw is on the card against Raphael Assuncao. Cat Zingano vs. Julianna Pena, two fireballs. And then when the main card starts, Cain Velasquez, who has been in the main event of every fight card he’s been on for the last six years, is fighting to open the night against Travis Browne. How sick is that? The return of Brock Lesnar. Conor McGregor is a massive star in the UFC, as is Nate Diaz, but I can’t imagine people would say that Brock isn’t the biggest star UFC has ever seen.
Spars with Wallace
Wallace, a Newry middleweight who has claimed six all-Ireland titles, says that he had just wrapped up a sparring session with McGregor at the SBG gym in Dublin.
I think he is a very skilful operator, his boxing skills is of very high level. He definitely has what it takes to be a boxer. I’m privileged to be given the opportunity.
https://www.facebook.com/conor.wallace.92/posts/1224977910880981
Edgar: McGregor smart not to fight at featherweight
Edgar says McGregor is ‘smart’ not to fight at 145.
At 145 he has everything to lose. At 170, he has nothing to lose. I mean, even though Nate is a 155-pound guy, and he decided not to cut weight so they could go around and market the fact that he’s going up two weight classes; which is ridiculous because he is fighting Nate Diaz who is a 55 pounder. If he loses at 70, well then, ‘Oh, he was too big, he’s fighting guys bigger than him.’ At 145, he loses then he has nothing. He loses his title, then what? He has a really hard time making that weight anyway, and if he goes to 55, he is not going to be in the title talks for a while, Conor is a smart guy. The way he promotes himself, the fights he gets, he’s a very smart guy, good coaches around him and they are making the right decisions for his career.
Danis training with McGregor
Danis posts Instagram images of him training with McGregor at the SBG Ireland gym in Dublin.
We’ve been in contact for a while and the time was just right. He’s one of my idols and you don’t pass up opportunities like this. He has one of the greatest minds and skillsets ever in the sport.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BGmh8g8mEc0/
Posts support for Ireland’s Euro 2016 team
McGregor posts video support for the Irish Euro 2016 football team.
Here is that rallying cry from @thenotoriousMMA to Ireland ahead of the start of #euro2016. We are here to take overhttps://t.co/wvOs5K8O4s
— RTÉ Soccer (@RTEsoccer) June 13, 2016
Kavanagh: Surprised if McGregor-Mayweather doesn’t happen
During a talk with MMA Underground, Kavanagh says he thinks McGregor-Mayweather will happen.
It puts it on hold. I think that contest will happen eventually but it’s on hold for now. I’d be very surprised if it doesn’t at some stage. I think it’s a bigger fight; I think there’s a lot of intrigue about it. I could be 100% wrong. Right now we’re focusing on August 20th. We have an important rematch – a mixed martial arts fight – but if in time that fight was to be announced it would not surprise me and I think it would be an interesting one.
It’s hard to beat Floyd with boxing because he seems to be almost perfect in terms of how defensive he is. I think if you’re a classically trained boxer you’re gonna lose to Floyd because he just seems to make everybody look quite ordinary. But maybe somebody who doesn’t strike like a boxer might be a new look for him. Maybe the odd sly knee and leg kick as well. [Laughs.] You get two warnings. [Laughs.]
Rogan: UFC right to rematch McGregor-Diaz
Rogan says that the UFC made the right decision in rematching McGregor with Diaz.
The emperor has been stripped down, okay? So now, he’s been exposed, someone has beaten him. So here’s the thing, what do you now? Do you want to make money? Because if you want to make money, you make the biggest fight you can right now while he’s been exposed. And the biggest fight for sure is (a rematch with Diaz). And when I say exposed, I don’t mean he’s not talented. I mean exposed meaning he’s a human and that he can lose. And that happens with every fighter. They lose and once they lose people go ‘oh, you can be beat. So, this is not an invulnerable perfect fighter who is unbelievable durable who can take punishment like no man. We’re talking about a guy who got dinged up (and) shot for a sh***y wide open takedown, got taken down, got demolished on the ground and got choked unconscious – quickly afterwards. But, you’ve got to put him in against Nate again. Because, that’s the big money rematch and if this guy turns out to be a guy who is going to win some and lose some and the beginning of his career he’s the unbeatable and wild Celtic warrior character, uhhhh, that’s all gone.
Hopes to meet Verstappen in Assen
Rosis says he is hoping to meet Verstappen at the Netherlands GP in Assen.
I always follow Formula One. Max Verstappen is a driver who I have followed since his time in go-karts, where he won several titles and showed how strong he was right away. It’s amazing what he has done and he is still very young. His speed is incredible and what he did in the race in Barcelona was fantastic. He had a bit of luck because of the collision between the Mercedes of Hamilton and Rosberg, but that shouldn’t detract from what he did. If I can meet him in Assen at the Dutch GP, then I would be really happy!
MotoGP ‘Will never be safe’
Following the death of Luis Salom, Rossi says that MotoGP will never be safe.
If I thought a little bit I could give to you a minimum of 10 corners, Motegi, Turn 4, for example. It’s something where every year we go and we say ‘we need more run-off.’ You check the situation. You cannot extend the run-off area, this is the reality,” he added. During the season you have a lot of points where if something happened with the bike you don’t have enough space. I remember in Jerez some years ago, Roberto Locatelli had the accident at the exit of Turn 10. The steering was stuck to the left and he went into the wall on the left in a place that is straight. In a place where it’s straight, it’s impossible to have 100 metres of run-off area. We’d have to race in the desert. Maybe Qatar is the only place where that’s OK, [but Marc] Marquez tried a start this year and he locked the front and he went to the left. It’s very difficult to have 100% safety. Unfortunately it’s something that you cannot fix.
Kavanagh: McGregor still interested in 145 fights
Kavanagh says he and McGregor have been watching the featherweight division and that what happens next will depend on how the next couple months play out
The short answer is I don’t know [if Conor will return to 145 pounds]. I’m very intrigued to see the Aldo and Edgar fight. I hope Aldo is fully recovered from the bad knockout. I thought (Chad) Mendes went back in there really quick after the knockout against Conor. People don’t realize the damage it does — it takes a long time to recover, and I think Mendes went down quicker in that fight because of that. Maybe if he’d let himself rest a bit more he might have had more fight for Edgar. I hope that’s not the case for Aldo, (I hope) we get to see a solid version of Aldo and a new kind of improved Edgar, and see what different from the first fight. So yea, let’s see that, and assess after the rematch. It’s kind of those two names and (Max) Holloway kind of in the mix, so it’s an interesting time….I thought Holloway looked fantastic the other night [at UFC 199]. I’ve said it ever since Conor fought Max, I had him as the second best 145er in the division.
Respond’s to McGregor’s PPV boast
In an interview with ESPN’s SportsCenter, Lesnar responds to McGregor’s boast that he has the largest PPV views.
I don’t know him. I know of Conor McGregor. This sport has evolved even from when I first entered the octagon. I think people are finding out that you have to talk the talk, and you have to more importantly, you have to walk the walk. For guys that can talk and walk the walk, I think it’s great. I think it’s great for the company. I’ve got no qualms with anybody. If somebody wants to state that they’re the biggest pay-per-view draw in the world, I don’t care…I’ve never come out and said, ‘I hold the most pay-per-view buys.’ All I know is what I got paid and I’m happy. Like I said, I’m a prize fighter. I don’t hang my championship trophies on the walls because they don’t pay the bills…The true competitor in me is still alive and well and I have to do this. At the top of my career, I wasn’t at the top of my game. I feel like I was cheated out of my career in the UFC. In my mind and in my heart, I never lost to a foe. I never lost to my opponent. I lost to diverticulitis. That was my opponent who beat me.
New chassis could be raced at Assen
After post-race testing Rossi says that a new chassis could be used in the Netherlands GP. After evaluating some new Michelin rear tyres, Rossi runs once on the new frame. Testing will continue through Tuesday.
The first impression was good. Tomorrow with more time I will test the chassis more deeply. Tomorrow can be an important day because we have some interesting things; the chassis, the swingarm… some things like this arriving from Yamaha. So it will be interesting to understand if we are able to improve a bit. What you expect from a new chassis is more a less then same: Try to make the corner fastest usually. This is the target!
Rossi, Marquez shake hands
Marquez and Rossi shake hands after the race.
Respect.#RossiVsMarquez https://t.co/gnWA5yV4aQ
— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) June 5, 2016
Diaz slaps White
Diaz posts video to Instagram of him slapping White, saying.
Getting deals done today.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BGQJYQVOPpo/
Report: McGregor-Diaz for UFC 202 on Aug 20
MMA Fighting reports that a rematch between McGregor and Diaz is close to being finalized for UFC 202 on Aug. 20 in Las Vegas.
‘We spoke about turn twelve for six years’
Rossi says that Turn 12, where Salom died, has been discussed by the riders over the years.
We spoke about turn twelve in the Safety Commission for six years. We say that we need more run off area. Unfortunately there is some work that you can do and some that you can’t. Because of the grandstand… It’s very expensive to modify this area. We already know it was dangerous there. But if you look at the crash unfortunately something happened on the bike.
We already know [turn 12 is dangerous] because two years ago [Niccolo] Antonelli crash. Fortunately he didn’t have any physical problem but he arrived in the protection so we put in more air fence.Unfortunately something very bad happened that reminds us of the risk of our sport. It was another crash and another problem. During the season you have occasions that if something happens on the bike there is not enough space. The crash of Salom was not normal…I don’t know. Something in the steering, something in the throttle, something on the brake. Turn twelve is very demanding on the front and you have a lot of bumps. Every lap is a lot of risk but usually you exit from the previous right. You hit second, third [gear], you enter and usually the normal crash is 35-40 metres later. You go on the right. If you open the angle and go on the right you have a lot more space. But Salom unfortunately go straight. He arrived at one speed that was unnatural. He didn’t slow down.
‘Nobody will ever come close to this mans greatness’
McGregor pays tribute to Muhammad Ali, with a line from the film, Reservoir Dogs.
Nobody will ever come close to this mans greatness.
And if they do, they better wake up and apologise. #RIPAli pic.twitter.com/ED2wgignB2— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) June 4, 2016
White waiting for Mayweather call
White says that he’s still waiting on Mayweather to call him.
People hit me up and say, ‘Did you see Floyd just posted a poster of them squared off and said they’re fighting in September?’ and this and that. Listen, I don’t care what Floyd says. There’s only one way this fight’s happening (and that’s) through me. Floyd’s got to call me. Floyd and I haven’t talked. Here’s the reality: I haven’t talked to Floyd Mayweather once. If you look at how long and how hard it took to get the (Manny) Pacquaio (vs. Mayweather) fight done, that’s the same sport. I don’t know what (Mayweather’s) angle is on this thing with Conor McGregor, but he’s not fighting Conor McGregor without calling me. It’s not going to happen.
Faber: ‘Stay away from boxing, Conor’
I want the fights that matter, and I don’t know what that timetable is, but I’ve told the UFC brass I want big fights – fights that are going to put money in their pockets, money in my pockets, and staple me as one of the best of all-time.
I actually like Conor. He’s got a mouth on him, I love talking back and forth with him. He’s got some wit about him, he’s got a weakness for Northern California fighters [Nate Diaz] and he’s got a weakness in his submission game, we know that. But he’s a powerful dude…[But] stay away from boxing, Conor. Not that he can’t do great over there, but this is a sport he loves, this is a sport he’s been training for.
Seamus wants McGregor WWE fight
Sheamus says he would like to fight McGregor in the WWE ring.
It’s entertainment, it’s WWE. I’d do anything. I’d fight anybody, any time, any place, anywhere. I think the gift of the gab would definitely get him through there. I think he’s kind of tailor made for that sort of situation. It’s very hard not to get Conor McGregor to talk. I think he’d do great.