Booing curtailed Mugello celebrations
Marquez says being booed on the Mugello podium made him limit his celebrations after finishing second in MotoGP’s Italian Grand Prix.
The reaction was not the best one. For that reason I didn’t celebrate a lot on the podium because I don’t like this. Today all the circuit was yellow but in the end all the circuit enjoyed the last laps and the show and that is most important.
Cowherd: McGregor-Mayweather on Sept 17
Cowherd says on his show that Mayweather vs. McGregor will take place the weekend of Sept. 17, 2016, in Las Vegas.
I think Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather will be a lopsided fight. Mayweather is a boxer. Boxers can’t beat him. Conor McGregor is not going to beat him — it is a payday. I have already booked two rooms for Sept. 17 and 18 in Las Vegas, My intel is Conor McGregor vs. Floyd Mayweather is going to happen. It changed late last week. I got a call, then somebody else sent me something yesterday and Saturday and we booked rooms in Vegas….I don’t think it’s will be a good fight. But it will be an event.
RIZIN CEO: McGregor, Rousey great for Japan
Sakakibara says McGregor and Rousey would be welcomed in Japanese MMA.
He would do fantastic. The fans would go crazy over him. Their style, Conor and Ronda, given the weight class and divisions of who they are, being able to make such a huge success financially, that has changed history within the fight game.
Engine failure ‘a great shame’
In a post-race interview, Rossi says that he was competitive before the engine failure.
Unfortunately on lap six, the bike start to have a problem and the clutch didn’t open, maybe because the engine already start to seize a little bit. It is for that reason that I go wide. But in seven-eight corners I was already back on Lorenzo, because I was a little bit faster, but after the engine broke. It’s a great shame, because it’s always a pity when you have a problem with the bike in the race, but here even more so because it was in Mugello in front of all the crowd. I was very competitive in the race and very fast, I had a good start and I was there. I think I could have fought for the victory because I had a very good feeling and a strong pace. It’s also a great shame because this zero points score for the championship weighs very heavily. Lorenzo and Marquez finished first and second, so now the distance is hard, but it’s like this. But I think this weekend I did my job at the maximum. I ride well, I was always concentrating and I arrived ready for fight for the victory in the race. In English they say ‘shit happens’! This is today. It is like this, but is very important to be strong and try to take from this bad moment extra energy for the next race in Barcelona.
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.
Sister: Family in reality show discussions
McGregor’s sister Erin, says that the family are in talks to create a reality TV show, that would include home life, her business ventures and the final countdown as she prepares to give birth later this year.
It’s something I would definitely, definitely want to do. I think there’s a great market out there for a new reality show for Irish people.
Bike ‘not so stable’
Marquez says his fourth place grid was a result of his bike’s lack of stability.
The Ducati on the straight is really fast but here we are also losing to Yamaha and Suzuki in the small accelerations. OK, here that is not as demanding as Le Mans, they are small ones [straights]. But with one tenth here, one tenth there, in the end we are losing a lot. We cannot use all the torque because of the stability on the rear…The electronics we are working really hard. Honestly we are still not perfect. We need to improve there, the stability. It looks like it’s not such a stable bike. At the top is Ducati. It is very stable. Then Yamaha. Suzuki is more unstable but they can keep pushing. For example in Le Mans we cannot use the power for the wheelie. The wheelie stops us and we need to reduced the power for the wheelie. Here we have the wheelie but the worst problem is the stability on the exit.
Rose: Mayweather-McGregor will happen in 2017
On his Jalen and Jacoby radio show, Rose says Mayweather-McGregor will happen in 2017, although he declines to name his sources.
I got some breaking news, the Floyd and McGregor fight is going to happen. Floyd and McGregor will probably announce in a month. It will be in May, the same weekend as the Kentucky Derby, in 2017. I’ve already booked my room in Vegas for the first weekend of May for this fight. The only way it doesn’t happen , is if the combatants and/or the business changes going forward. But as of now, all signs lead to this happening.
On McGregor’s contract:
Basically what they will do is that [the UFC] will get the same percentage as if he was fighting on a UFC card.
‘I need to start in top five’
Due to wet conditions Rossi completes a series of practice starts at pit exit, but does not set a time in the morning session. He comes sixth in afternoon practice, 0.644 seconds behind Ducati’s Andrea Iannone, but within two tenths of team-mate Jorge Lorenzo.
Unfortunately this morning we had wet conditions and for going on the track it was quite useless because it was half and half, so not enough for the wet tyres but too damp for the slicks. For the afternoon, we had quite good conditions but it was quite cold and the track didn’t provide fantastic grip after yesterday’s rain. But at the end of practice it was not so bad…But at the same time the first 10 people are very close so for tomorrow we need to try and improve, especially in the second part of the track where I am not very fast…We need to improve and improve the feeling. I don’t have enough rear grip and I have to wait too long to open the throttle and especially with the exit from the last corner, I lose too much. It’s very, very important if I want a chance to fight at the top [in the race], I need to start in the top five. First row is more important, for sure. But also top five is OK.
McGregor: Relationship with UFC ‘in a good place’
McGregor says his meeting with White went well.
I met with Dana and Mr. Fertitta, good conversation like it always is. We have a good relationship. It is what it is. It happens. This is the fight game. Sometimes emotions get into it but it’s important to recognize that emotions have no place in business. We just set it aside. There’s no place for emotions in this. We are doing beautiful things so let’s continue. Let’s fix it and continue…I’d say [our relationship] is nice and in the middle. In a good place.
Lorenzo, Marquez given bodyguards for Mugello
MotoGP organisers have arranged a bodyguard each for Jorge Lorenzo and Marc Marquez for this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix in order to minimise the chance of an incident with Valentino Rossi’s fans. A third security specialist has been assigned to Alex Marquez, Marc’s brother. Whe Rossi is asked if he would make some kind of appeal to try to calm any fan that might want to harm Lorenzo or Marquez.
I didn’t do it, but my fan club did it, which is as if I have said it.
MotoGP spokesperson:
We have asked the German company that provides us with security personnel for access to two more employees. Lorenzo and Marquez will also both have a bodyguard who will be prepared and will have a green light to act if the situation requires it.
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.
‘We can be competitive at Mugello’
Rossi says everything is in place to enable him to win the Italian GP. He set a record of seven back-to-back premier class wins at Mugello from 2002 to 2008 and heads into his home race in strong form following a runner-up finish at Le Mans.
I love Mugello and its atmosphere. It’s very difficult for me to keep my concentration here because there are always so many of my friends and fans around, but the Mugello race is also special for me for that reason. I’ve had some victories here, many great battles and a lot of good memories. I think this year we can be competitive because our bike is good and I’m getting into a good shape. At the Le Mans GP we arrived late at achieving the right set up for the race, at Mugello we will not make this mistake again. I’m relaxed and now I’m ready to try to attain the maximum level of concentration.
White: UFC 200 ‘ship has sailed’
White will meet with McGregor in Los Angeles.
[We] are having dinner with Conor McGregor. So tonight at like, 10 (p.m.), I’ll have a lot more answers on the Conor McGregor situation…[Conor] will not be on UFC 200. Not at all. That ship sailed. But we’ve put that behind us, and we’re in a good place with Conor, and we’re looking to make his next fight. We should have that done tonight.
Jeffries: ‘This guy can box like f-k’
Jeffries tweets his impressions of McGregor’s boxing skills.
Great to have @TheNotoriousMMA in @BoxNBurn today sparring-
Wow this guy can box like fu*k 👊🏻 pic.twitter.com/Bo0h5pRk84
— Tony Jeffries OLY (@Tony_Jeffries) May 17, 2016
Can win Italian GP if acceleration improves
Marquez says he can win in Italy, if the Repsol Honda team can improve the acceleration of the RC213V.
I look forward to the next two races: we need to focus and concentrate on Mugello and Montmeló, which are two very different tracks from both Jerez and Le Mans. They require more corner speed and if two years ago I would have said that they were demanding tracks for us now I think that maybe they can be better. We have work to do but I believe that if we improve the acceleration, our bike is one of the best out there. Not easy to get it due to the actual rules that prevent us from working on the engine, but I know that Honda is working hard on every other area of the bike and I believe in them. So we remain positive and in Mugello we will go with the podium as a target.
Van Heerden: Mcgregor’s boxing ‘is right up there’
Van Heerden tweets about his sparring session with McGregor.
All thats been asking!I've sparred with TOP fighters & @TheNotoriousMMA Boxing game is Right-Up there 👊🏻💯 @BoxNBurn pic.twitter.com/gLcNygYq39
— Chris van Heerden (@TheHeat001) May 15, 2016
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.