UFC 200 press conference
White introduces the fighters fro UFC 200. He talks about McGregor:
Listen, Conor’s going to fight again. He’s going to fight at UFC 201, 202, 203 – whatever the deal might be. We’ll see what’s next when that plays out. But (UFC) 200 is the fight everybody’s been looking to for a long time. It is what it is. The show’s going to roll on, and Conor will fight again.
UFC 200: McGregor-Diaz replaced with Cormier-Jones
UFC announces that Cormier and Jones will lead the ticket for UFC 200, a light heavyweight bout that replaces McGregor v. Diaz. Cormier and Jones were originally set to rematch at UFC 197, until Cormier had to pull out due to injury.
Pays tribute to Holohan
McGregor pays tribute to Holohan, who is training with him in Iceland. Holohan has been told he can no longer pass a medical to fight in UFC because he is missing a blood-clotting factor called Factor XIII.
Shout out to my brother @paddyholohanmma on his successful career in the fight game! We had a heck of a time in Iceland training and toasting young success!! Tallaght and Crumlins finest! The game will never be the same!’
https://www.instagram.com/p/BEo6o5xrzqz/
‘I’m going on vacation’
Diaz tweets that he is going on vacation.
Happy to announce that I'm going on vacation #gone #100 ✌🏼️
— Nathan Diaz (@NateDiaz209) April 26, 2016
White insists McGregor not on ticket
Speaking to TMZ, White repeats that McGregor is not on the ticket.
All the media keeps asking me that. I feel like the scene in Step Brothers when they ask if they can build the bunk beds. I don’t know how many more times I can say the fight is off or how many more press conferences I can have saying the fight is off for people to believe it’s off.
Kavanagh defends McGregor
Kavanagh says he did not know McGregor had announced he was back on UFC 200, until he saw McGregor’s tweet.
We left Iceland very early this morning and we ended up getting separated, going different ways. I turned my phone on. I was with Gunni and Paddy Holohan and thing’s started going crazy, I saw this message. I didn’t know about this and neither did his manager, so it was news to both of us when we saw it. I haven’t spoken to Conor since….I presume I’m going to see Conor at training and find out the exact news, but that’s how I heard about it…Things seem to be coming down to… I guess ego isn’t the right word, but at some stage you’ve got to see that it’s pointless. It upset so many fans that wanted to see this fight and ignore the kind of numbers that it brought in over a press conference where it tends to be more or less the same questions asked every time. It’s not the same for Conor to have to travel half way across the world when others only have to go down the road.
White: No deal with McGregor
White tells the Los Angeles Times in a text message that a deal for McGregor’s return is not true.
We haven’t talked [to] Conor or his manager since the press conference. I don’t know why he would tweet that.
Back on UFC 200
McGregor tweets that he is back on UFC 200.
Happy to announce that I am BACK on UFC 200!
Shout out to @danawhite and @lorenzofertitta on getting this one done for the fans. #Respect— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) April 25, 2016
Lorenzo claims Rossi doesn’t feel benefit of winglets
Lorenzo says he can feel a difference using aerodynamic winglets on his Yamaha MotoGP bike, unlike his teammate Rossi, who has called them “ugly”. Lorenzo:
This year they are a little bit bigger, in a different position from last year. They don’t make such a big difference, obviously they give you a little bit less wheelie on the exit of the corners. But on the negative side you have less speed on the straight. We have to analyse every situation if we can ride with it or without it. For the moment I prefer, but let’s see what happens in the future. I feel some benefits that, for example, my teammate is not feeling.
Rossi:
I will continue with the wings that give us more help. I know all the manufacturers try to speak to decide whether to continue with the wings or not. I’m open to everything. But sincerely speaking, it’s better for me that we don’t have the wings.
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
MacDonald tweets McGregor support
MacDonald tweets his support for McGregor.
my opinion @TheNotoriousMMA did the right thing, us fighters could learn a thing or 2 bout knowing r worth. also we should support eachother
— Rory MacDonald (@rory_macdonald) April 23, 2016
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.
‘Not everyone up there made the company 400million’
McGregor tweets about the UFC 200 press conference.
Everyone flew in. Respect.
But not everyone up there made the company 400million in 8 months.— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) April 22, 2016
TXFM interview
The band are interviewed in advance of their show at The Workman’s Club in Dublin. On the death of Prince:
There is a real sense of: will those icons of that level exist again? When I was young I used to get on the bus, go to town, buy an album, read the sleeve notes on the way back. You’d listen to it from start to finish. But music is so accessible now. It’s very difficult for bands now to glue onto people, and get fans for an album. Things like YouTube and iTunes are good, but the drawback is that the listeners switch on, they listen to you, but just as quickly they switch to something else. When we do connect we feel more privileged, but it hard to see somebody being that level again.
Says Lorenzo will be competitive at Ducati
Rossi says that Lorenzo will be competitive at Ducati. The manufacturer has been steadily improving its MotoGP efforts but has not had a race win since Casey Stoner won the 2010 Australian Grand Prix. Rossi:
When I arrived at Ducati, the bike was very different compared to all the other bikes. It was another concept. It is a different moment in terms of time because I’m older but it’s similar in terms of moment in our careers. It looks like that the Ducati in the last two years has improved a lot and is a competitive bike, it’s for sure very different to Yamaha. I know the skills of Lorenzo to ride and I think that he will be competitive with Ducati.
Denies being the influence for Lorenzo leaving Yamaha
Rossi says he is not the reason Lorenzo is leaving Yamaha for Ducati. When asked if Lorenzo “could not stand” being his teammate any more.
The great thing about the Yamaha management and all the guys that make decisions for the team, is that they are able to manage two top riders, because they always keep us at the same level,” said the Italian. Already in 2008, when I had been at Yamaha for four years, Lorenzo arrived straight away exactly at my level. But this happened also the other way, when I come back in 2013 [after two seasons with Ducati] when Lorenzo was champion, Yamaha put me at the same level. Always in Yamaha it’s 50/50, which is the key to make the team work. So I don’t think it’s for this reason.
‘I AM NOT RETIRED’
McGregor releases a statement:
I am just trying to do my job and fight here. I am paid to fight. I am not yet paid to promote. I have become lost in the game of promotion and forgot about the art of fighting. There comes a time when you need to stop handing out flyers and get back to the damn shop. 50 world tours, 200 press conferences, 1 million interviews, 2 million photo shoots, and at the end of it all I’m left looking down the barrel of a lens, staring defeat in the face, thinking of nothing but my incorrect fight preparation. And the many distractions that led to this. Nothing else was going through my mind. It is time to go back and live the life that got me this life. Sitting in a car on the way to some dump in Conneticut or somewhere, to speak to Tim and Suzie on the nobody gives a f-ck morning show did not get me this life. Talking to some lady that deep down doesn’t give a f-ck about what I’m doing, but just wants some sound bites so she can maybe get her little tight ass a nice raise, and I’m cool with that too, I’ve been giving you all raises. But I need to focus on me now.
I’m coming for my revenge here. I flew an entire team to Portugal and to Iceland to make my adjustments in preparation and fix my errors I made with the weight and the cardio prep.
With the right adjustments and the right focus, I will finish what I started in that last fight. I will not do this if I am back on the road handing out flyers again. I will always play the game and play it better than anybody, but just for this one, where I am coming off a loss, I asked for some leeway where I can just train and focus. I did not shut down all media requests. I simply wanted a slight adjustment. But it was denied.There had been 10 million dollars allocated for the promotion of this event is what they told me. So as a gesture of good will, I went and not only saved that 10 million dollars in promotion money, I then went and tripled it for them. And all with one tweet. Keep that 10 mill to promote the other bums that need it. My shows are good. I must isolate myself now. I am facing a taller, longer and heavier man. I need to prepare correctly this time. I can not dance for you this time. It is time for the other monkeys to dance. I’ve danced us all the way here. Nate’s little mush head looks good up on that stage these days. Stuff him in front of the camera for it. He came in with no shit to do that last one. I’d already done press conferences, interviews and shot the ads before RDA pulled out. Maybe I’ll hit Cabo this time and skull some shots pre-fight with no obligation.
I’m doing what I need for me now. It is time to be selfish with my training again. It is the only way.I feel the $400million I have generated for the company in my last three events, all inside 8 months, is enough to get me this slight leeway. I am still ready to go for UFC 200. I will offer, like I already did, to fly to New York for the big press conference that was scheduled, and then I will go back into training. With no distractions. If this is not enough or they feel I have not deserved to sit this promotion run out this one time, well then I don’t know what to say. For the record also – For USADA and for the UFC and my contract stipulations – I AM NOT RETIRED.
Marquez denies Yamaha move
Speaking in Jerez, Marquez confirms that Ducati had made him an approach, but denied being in the running to replace Jorge Lorenzo as Rossi’s teammate.
I had a call from Ducati. Yamaha has done in the past, but not this time. Already Lin [Jarvis, team boss] said it wouldn’t be possible. I started talking with Honda [about a new contract] in Austin and I have always said they are my priority. They were the ones to give me the opportunity to join MotoGP, and there is no logic in changing.
Asked about the prospect of being paired up with Marquez, Rossi says:
It would be interesting to see Marquez at Yamaha, and he would be a very tough teammate to beat. It’s hard enough to share a box with Lorenzo. I can only say that I will do my best to beat my teammate, whoever it is.
Says Lorenzo move good for MotoGP
Marquez says that Jorge Lorenzo’s move to Ducati is good for MotoGP.
I think it’s important and it’s good for the championship because one of the top riders moves to another manufacturer and is always for sure a big opportunity. Also a new challenge for him and we will see but still remain one year, so it is a long time, but anyway it will be interesting for everybody, the fans the other riders, to see how Lorenzo/Ducati can do…[Jerez]
is a track where Jorge is normally pretty strong so we will see, also it is more a flowing track so for Yamaha it looks better. We did a test in November but from then to now you can imagine how many changes on the bike, so we start from zero and we will see how the tyres are working on the track on this kind of tarmac and I look forward to starting FP1 tomorrow in a good way.
BBC agrees to fund local newspaper reporting
After more than a year of talks, Highfield says regional media groups and the BBC have agreed in principle a new partnership. Highfield highlights four areas of focus with the BBC: funding for more journalists, potentially employed by local media groups; a video bank that would make BBC regional content available to local media partners free of charge; a shared data journalism unit; an agreement on better linking to local media content on BBC news sites and attribution to content originated in the local media.
We still need to work through the numbers and we’re under no illusions how difficult that might be. [Local media would benefit from] a proper commercial framework for use of this content by the BBC. We are trying to reach an agreement on how it is going to work – how much, and when and where…All we ask for is a fair eco-system.