White: McGregor will fight again
In an interview on The Jim Rome Show, White talks about McGregor’s retirement announcement.
We’d been going back and forth over this whole press conference and commercial thing. He’s young, he’s emotional, and I believe that’s what that was. Do I believe he’s retiring? I don’t. But if he is, I wish him well. Conor McGregor will fight again I believe. He’s a young guy, he’s a proud guy, he’s very opinionated. I think yesterday his tweet was out of frustration and not the true desire to retire…You can’t not show up to promote your fight. Especially it’s UFC 200. We’re spending like 10 million dollars in commercials and advertising and everything else, and he’s the main event, and he’s not going to be a part of it? It doesn’t work that way.
White also says reports of McGregor wanting $10 million to fight at UFC 200 are false:
That is a flat out disgusting lie. It’s a lie. Conor McGregor has never agreed to fight then come back and ask for more money. He’s never done that. He’s not like that…I’m not mad at Conor McGregor at all. I have no ill-will towards him whatsoever. Listen, he’s a big boy he made a decision not to fight at two hundred he knows what that means to him. Listen, I got three months to go and a lot of people who want to fight on it.
Jerez podium ‘a must’
Rossi says a podium finish at Jerez is a must.
I am very happy that now we go to Europe. The race in Texas was not very lucky for me, but even after a race like that we have to look at the positive side. We were having a very good weekend when we improved in qualifying and I felt very good on the bike and also with the Michelins. Austin has always been a very difficult track for me, but this year it was good. Now we go to Jerez, a track that I like very much. It’s very different from the first three rounds of the championship. We’ll have to work well, like we have done in these first races, finding the best setting for the tyres, continue working on the Michelins, and above all we must try to get onto the podium on Sunday.
White: If McGregor calls ‘they could figure out’ UFC 200
UFC President White says McGregor’s management asked to move the media promotions to May but that wasn’t an option. At that time, White said it was “weird”. He also says McGregor needs to clear up his status soon because if he remains retired Aldo v Edgar will be for the featherweight title. White adds that if McGregor called him today to clear the air they could figure it out UFC 200.
I’m not mad at Conor. Conor made a decision and a choice to not fight on this card. That’s on him, man…Conor delivers. But he wasn’t planning on delivering this weekend, and I had to pull him. It’s what had to be done.
Father confirms retirement
McGregor’s father confirms his son’s retirement, but says that his son had not told him directly.
The last word we heard is he’s retired. That’s the latest word. The news broke to us at the same time as everyone else. We have spoken but we can’t disclose anything. He’s in Iceland. Go and talk to him.
‘I have decided to retire young’
McGregor posts to Twitter that he has decided to retire young.
I have decided to retire young.
Thanks for the cheese.
Catch ya's later.— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) April 19, 2016
Coach: Diaz will stop McGregor inside two rounds
Diaz’s boxing coach Richard Perez says that Diaz will beat McGregor.
I believe that Nate is going to tap him out or knock him out. I mean because once he gets him to the ground McGregor doesn’t stand a chance. I mean standing up either. Sure he goes out kicking and trying to be fast but Nate already knows what he can do and he’s going to be in better shape and a lot sharper. So yea, I think Nate will stop him inside two.
Needs more acceleration for European rounds
Marquez says the European circuits will pose new challenges.
I’m happy with these races but in another side I want to arrive in Europe. Different kinds of racetracks, more narrow, different kind of tarmac, it’s the older style tarmac. Honda is working hard and I keep pushing a hundred per cent, every practice, every lap and it looks like [in Austin] we could manage, but the question mark will be Europe…We understand more things, and still Honda is working hard to bring us some acceleration. Especially in fourth, fifth, sixth gear, I can’t follow Suzuki, Yamaha or Ducati… so they are doing a big effort and they are starting to bring already some new parts.
Faber wants McGregor fight
In response to a comment by Faber’s teammate, Cody Garbrandt, that Faber could envisage the 36-year-old walking away from the sport in the event of a bantamweight title-victory over Dominick Cruz, Faber says that instead he wants to go out by fighting McGregor.
I’m not sure you are interpreting that right from Cody or not. I mean I know that he did say it would be a picture-perfect way for me to go out, but what I would like to do is beat Cruz and then fight Conor at 145[lbs]…You never know in this sport. I actually like Conor. You know, we got into it on the show, about he wanted to fight me and I wanted to fight him in Ireland. Then Dana said ‘you guys will never fight’. Then Dana called me and said ‘you know what, I told you that you would never fight but this is your opportunity. We want to give this to you’ blah, blah, blah. And I said ‘let’s do it’. But then I got a call from Dana saying that Conor wanted to fight Nate. So is it foreseeable? For sure.
Sings with Cork footballers
McGregor bumps into the Cork senior footballers on return from training in Portugal. McGregor chants ‘Up The Dubs’ which was met with ‘Up The Rebels’ from the Munster men.
https://www.facebook.com/thenotoriousmma/videos/1258051917596438/
Brolly: Ban UFC
Joe Brolly writes an editorial in The Sunday Independent saying that following the death of Carvalho, UFC and other violent sports should be banned.
The truth is that violent sports are a rich man’s play thing, where poor men try to put each other into a coma for our amusement. These violent life-and-death sports are fun. They bring us to somewhere primitive inside us. It is why the spectators in the Colosseum gasped and cheered as the knife was thrust home. The law permits it. And it shouldn’t. Time to ban these violent pro sports. Sometimes, human beings have to be protected from themselves…Is it good enough that a young man be beaten to death in a cage for our amusement? Is it good enough that as he begins the slow process of dying, lying on the canvas like a tranquillised cow in the abattoir, Conor McGregor, our most famous sportsman, is giving high fives all around, laughing, and beating his chest? Is it?
Uses different riding style for Michelin tyres
Marquez says MotoGP’s switch to Michelin tyres prompted him to try to adopt a smoother riding style during pre-season testing.
During the pre-season I was thinking a lot about riding style, trying to find another way to ride with Michelin and all of these things. Also the balance of the bike didn’t feel great, so I tried to change many, many things. But in the end, when I felt well on the bike – the first time in the last day of pre-season [testing in Qatar] – I tried to use again my normal riding style. Some slides, I tried to control these slides, because if not I will overheat the tyres. In the end, when a rider feels comfortable with the bike and everything is working well, it comes naturally. Your style is one [style] and you cannot change. I always have an aggressive style, sliding a lot, but in the end, OK, you can improve in terms of the condition of the track, but it comes natural…We must understand that this year it’s different tyres and the riding style is different. Of course I arrived [in Austin] and on the first day I was braking on the same point like on Bridgestone and I was not able to stop the bike. We must understand that this tyre works in a different way and have some worse points and some points that are much better.
‘Keys is innocent’ letter
Ars Technica reports that hours before Keyes was sentenced, they received a letter (link) from an anonymous source, called “Sam Snow”, saying that Keys was wrongfully accused. In the letter, Snow described himself as someone who met Keys on a dating website in 2009. The pair dated briefly, but they eventually decided to just be friends. Eventually, Snow says, Keys gave him a key to his apartment, with an open invitation to come by anytime he wanted. Snow then describes how he did the actions Keys is accused of.
[Keys] never gave a username and password for any computer system to any hacker or hacking group. He never conspired to hack his former employer, and he never sent e-mails to any of his co-workers or the audience of the TV station where he worked. I know he did not do any of the things for which he has been accused—because I did them, and again this is something I can prove.
Keys tells Ars that he did not send the letter and declines further comment. Keys’ lawyers say that they had received a copy of the letter in January 2016 (it is dated January 3, 2015), but that it was far too late and contained far too little verifiable proof to be useful in Keys’ defense.
Edgar wants McGregor NYC fight
Edgard talks about his upcoming fight with Jose Aldo.
It’s kind of silly. It doesn’t really make sense. But I get to fight a five-round fight, I get to fight a legend in Aldo and be on one of the biggest cards in UFC history. There’s a lot of plus sides to it. And also, the interim’s going to guarantee me a shot at the title. If I hold the interim, there’s no if’s, and’s or but’s about it. I have to be fighting that guy for the title, or my title becomes the title if [McGregor] doesn’t come down. The momentum is on my side. Last time I was coming off of two close losses up at lightweight, losing the belt and everything. This time, I’m the one with the five-fight winning streak. He’s coming off of a devastating loss. Three years went by. I’m much more experienced, I’m much more mature as a fighter and I’m much more comfortable in there…I’d love to get a win here in July and then fight McGregor for that real title in [Madison Square] Garden in November. If not McGregor, then I’ll be defending my title in the Garden.
Guardian interview
Keys is interviewed by The Guardian.
It’s fairly common knowledge at this point that this was a very heavy-handed prosecution. We have a real shot of narrowing the applicability of the law so that this doesn’t happen to anybody else. Regarding assertions that his crimes constituted terrorist acts, he added, “I think that anybody who has met me, anybody that’s followed my work would highly dispute that. I didn’t ask for this fight, this fight came at my door. It was an opportunistic prosecutor that seized the moment…Being able to continue working is very important to me. I’m not going away soon.
Diaz: McGregor’s brand won’t be hurt by defeat
Diaz says that even if McGregor is defeated by him, it won’t hurt McGregor’s brand.
I’m sure he’ll be all right when I beat him. I’m top of the food chain. I’ve been fighting top 10 competition for eight years. Losing to me is not so bad. You can lose to some lame ass or you can lose to a real f–king G fighter. I don’t think it will hurt him too much. He’ll be all right…I feel bad for Frankie Edgar, that’s my dude right there. I like him. He was supposed to fight Conor McGregor a long time ago. This was his fight, too, and he got f–cked around a little bit. I hope he gets what he wants in the future…I’ll do the fights but I’m not going to put in the weight cutting work for chump change. Now I’m getting paid so I’m like I’ll make weight…Fight’s coming, we’ll see what happens. I don’t make predictions, we’ll see what happens. I don’t care, it’s whatever. I just want to go do what I gotta do and get the show cracking.
Tyson: McGregor a ‘phenomenal’ personality
In an interview with Fighters Only, Tyson praises McGregor.
Conor is very charismatic. Jon Jones is bad, but deep down he’s a decent kind of person and very shy. Whereas this guy, Conor, he’s the man. He reminds me of the old-time boxers, one of those guys that’s just into everything. He walks into the room and everybody stands up. He sucks the air out of the room. He’s just a really interesting guy. He does things nobody else has been able to do too. He’s kind of like an animated character, one that’s real though. He’s a great fighter, but his personality is even bigger than his talent. Isn’t that crazy? He’s got this huge personality. Nobody in MMA has ever had a personality as big as his. Ronda [Rousey] is just like a monster—the things she would do—but this guy is different. His personality is phenomenal…It’s actually not even about the money, it’s the power. That’s what it’s all about. We never say it, but that’s what he wants: power. That’s why we put out lives on the brink of destruction, because we want to grasp that power. Nothing else matters. We almost want to give our lives up in pursuit of it. It’s worth dying and killing for.
Honda bike ‘getting better with every session’
Marquez credits Honda’s improvements to his bike.
Every time, we find something, something new, in the electronics or in the bike. We are improving step by step. [At Austin] we improved the start, the electronics on the start, so the start was much better than the other ones. Also we improved a little bit the engine braking, we found something after Argentina, so step by step we are improving. On Friday I tried some wings, I tried a different fairing, so we are working. OK it’s possible to be [going the] wrong way, but I hope that now we are in the correct way and we must follow this way and try to work with the same style…I remember the feeling of Malaysia that I was pushing 100 per cent in the first day [of pre-season testing] and I was 1.5 seconds slower per lap than Jorge [Lorenzo]. That feeling was really frustrating. But the key I think is I always believed in Honda, in my team. They worked a lot. They are still working because we are not at our 100 per cent level with the performance.
‘A hell of a fighter’
McGregor writes a tribute to Carvalho:
Terrible news regarding Joao Carvalho. To see a young man doing what he loves, competing for a chance at a better life, and then to have it taken away is truly heartbreaking.
We are just men and women doing something we love in the hope of a better life for ourselves and our families. Nobody involved in combat sports of any kind wants to see this. It is such a rare occurrence that I don’t know how to take this. I was ringside supporting my teammate, and the fight was so back and forth, that I just can’t understand it.
My condolences go out to Joao’s family and his team. Their man was a hell of a fighter and will be sorely missed by all. Combat sport is a crazy game and with the recent incident in boxing and now this in MMA, it is a sad time to be a fighter and a fight fan. It is easy for those on the outside to criticise our way of living, but for the millions of people around the world who have had their lives, their health, their fitness and their mental strength all changed for the better through combat, this is truly a bitter pill to swallow. We have lost one of us. I hope we remember Joao as a champion, who pursued his dream doing what he loved, and show him the eternal respect and admiration he deserves. Rest in peace, Joao.
Says Michelins demand more concentration
Rossi says Yamaha and Michelin should work to improve his bike’s situation, but the only way he can avoid more crashes is to ride more precisely.
I think I have no solution. I think that the tyre will remain like this, and I think Michelin can work, for sure, but especially we have to work on the bikes to improve them. Try to make a better match with these tyres. But especially not try to make any mistakes. For sure, the situation is different for us [than to Honda] on these tyres. Last year, the Bridgestone maybe had some other problems, but are very safe on the front. This year, if you make a small mistake, you pay. In that corner I entered with the same speed, there are two bumps, and maybe I was more inside, maybe I lost concentration, maybe I wanted more, and I lost the front.
Schilling: Diaz ‘humbled, humiliated’ McGregor
In an interview with MMA Underground Schilling talks about Diaz’s approach to fighting McGregor.
There is no way that any consummate professional is going to go out there and blow his wad in the first round – unless you’re Conor McGregor and you go out there and blow your wad in the first round…So, Nate’s game plan was to go out there, not get knocked-out, but not waste any energy, and pick up as the rounds went on, because you have to go five rounds. You look at Nick and Nate’s style of fighting – they don’t ever do that well in the first round. They set a pace and then they drown you in it and then by the third, fourth round, guys are shooting for takedowns because they can’t stand getting hit anymore.
On the upcoming UFC 200 fight:
It’s going to be the same fight. I think it’s so obvious the holes in Conor’s game, they were all over the place. I think the skillset that Nate has is far superior to Conor’s and Nate having a full training camp is just way different…if you’re in there with someone you look up to, and you’re intimidated by, and you’re scared of, and talking all this sh-t about, your adrenaline is going to get (expletive) really bad and you’re going to try and knock him out in the first round. And, you’re going to lose like it did the last time.
On McGregor’s “humble in victory and defeat” attitude:
No, he got humbled, and humiliated. There is a big difference between being humble, and being humbled. There’s a big difference.
