Kavanagh: McGregor is ‘in the best condition I’ve ever seen’
Coach Kavanagh talks about how training is going with McGregor at the UFC Performance Institute in Las Vegas.
I’ve been with Conor a while. This is the best physical condition I’ve ever seen him in. [He has an] unparalleled work ethic.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BXC826uAu-C/
Mayweather wants £100 PPV for UK
Hearn, who is Anthony Joshua’s promoter, talks about speculation that the PPV cost for the McGregor-Mayweather fight could be far higher than previous events.
Mayweather wants the price to be £100.
But Hearn doesn’t think that Sky would drastically increase its pricing point.
The price will be within the same realms as it always has. I don’t set the price, but my gut feeling is £19.95. If it went to £24.95… I can’t see it, it wouldn’t be my decision. Sky won’t want to go beyond £19.95. That is their price point.
Ortiz: Mayweather threw ’16 or 17′ illegal elbows in 2011 fight
Ortiz says Mayweather made many illegal shots on him during their 2011 fight. Mayweather controversially knocked out Ortiz as he was holding out his hands in apology for a headbutt against Mayweather. Ortiz says he resorted to the headbutt because Mayweather was continually striking him with illegal elbows.
You can’t elbow unless you are Mayweather. I think on both parts we both had a lot of mistakes taking place. He was hitting me with his elbows. I took a lot of them. I took I believe 16 or 17. I kept telling (referee) Cortez, ‘Hey Cortez, elbow, elbow.’ (He just said) ‘Keep fighting Ortiz, keep fighting Ortiz…(I was) trying but then it got to the point where I felt like I was seeing double out of one eye and I think that’s your retina when that is happening. The other eye was starting to swell, not from the punch. He (elbowed) and got away with it. I think what I did was wrong, I headbutted. I ended up paying ugly.
Frampton: Fight is not bad for boxing
Frampton says he is is excited about flying out from Northern Ireland to Las Vegas to watch the McGregor-Mayweather fight.
I think Conor’s brilliant. He’s a showman, he’s mental and he’s a maniac. I really like him and I’m going out to watch it with some of the others [fighters] from our gym, like Josh Taylor, Conrad Cummings and our wives. We’re going out for a mad weekend…I don’t think the fight is bad for boxing, it’s an event, and I’m looking forward to it. As a boxing match, it’s a mismatch but you have to give it to Conor McGregor. He’s making his boxing debut and he’s talked himself into a $100 million pay day. Good luck to him…I hate saying who’s going to win but it’s hard to look past Mayweather, he’s just too good.
Mayweather may ‘walk out’ with Diaz, but not Bieber
Jason Lee, from Mayweather’s entourage, says Mayweather may be walking out with Diaz at the upcoming fight. McGregor lost to Diaz in March of 2016, then beat him in UFC 202, in August 2016.
I was just in London with Floyd when the whole shit went down with Conor and I’m going to make the call to Nate Diaz. I would love to see him walk out with Floyd.
Mayweather has walked out to the ring a number of times with Justin Bieber, but Lee says he doesn’t think Bieber will be there this time.
Bieber found Jesus and he’s somewhere prayed-up. I don’t officially want to say that [Bieber will not walk out with Floyd]. But I just want to say I don’t see Bieber walking out with Floyd.
McGregor to Tyson: ‘I’m the new Don King’
McGregor responds to Tyson calling him a ‘dumbass,’ who is going to get knocked out by Mayweather, by referring to Tyson’s legal action against Don King. Tyson sued King for $100 million in stolen earnings, and received $14 million in an out-of-court settlement.
That's nice Mike, but you're looking at the new Don King here, son.
Money is mine.— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) July 25, 2017
Conlan: McGregor’s self-belief gives him chance to win
Conlan says that McGregor’s self-belief can be a decisive factor in his upcoming fight against Mayweather.
He’s definitely got ability. He’s a guy who believes in himself 100 million percent. Floyd Mayweather has been impossible to beat. No matter who it is, no matter what sport it is, if someone believes in themselves that much, there’s always a possibility, always a chance. Anything can happen in boxing…That’s the kind of mentality I try to replicate.
Jones: McGregor can’t beat Mayweather
Jones says that, despite his admiration for McGregor, he doesn’t think the Irishman can beat Mayweather.
I really admire Conor McGregor a lot. He’s been a huge inspiration to me. But I’m also a fan of greatness – and Floyd Mayweather is unquestionably great. He’s 40 but Floyd takes care of himself, he’s been living a clean life, you’d be surprised what you can get out of yourself when you live the way Floyd does – he has all the resources to stay healthy and on top of his game. Miguel Cotto and Oscar De La Hoya, all these guys have tremendous punching power. But what they have that McGregor doesn’t is the years of experience and tightness to back up that punching power. I’m really happy for McGregor to be in this position but if I were a betting man, I’d imagine that you’d just have to side on the side of greatness.
Tyson: McGregor ‘is going to get killed’ boxing Mayweather
Tyson says McGregor will not be able to beat Mayweather under boxing rules. Tyson said that if it were him in the fight with McGregor, he would allow the Irishman to use kicks and knees in the fight.
McGregor is going to get killed boxing. I got mad because I thought they were going to use MMA rules against boxing because that’s what it’s all about: Can the boxer beat the MMA guy? McConor put his dumb–s in a position where he’s gonna get knocked out because this guy’s been doing this all his life since he was a baby. McConor can’t kick and grab and stuff so he won’t stand much of a chance…McGregor took the biggest sucker rules in the history of boxing.
Aldo: ‘McGregor was never a champion of anything’
Aldo says:
McGregor was never a champion of anything. He defeated the champion and left. A real champion has to defend (the belt). I speak for (Max) Holloway because, win or lose (against Frankie Edgar), he will be there fighting. I’m happy that Holloway is the champion. An example, someone who deserved being where he is.
Mayweather: ‘Not going to be a dull fight’
Mayweather, who has been spending time training with Anthony Joshua in Vegas, says that he and McGregor are both preparing for the fight in the same way, and fans can expect an exciting battle.
There has been a lot of trash-talkers [through his career], and at the end of the day, he’s not bad. We will rate him number two and I’m number one – he’s got heart… Am I worried about an elbow or knee? I’m going to let the referee do his job, he will be extremely fair but firm. Nevada Commission is about treating everybody fair… He’s a warrior, that’s what I do know about Conor McGregor. He’s going to fight to the end. He’s approaching this fight like I’m approaching this fight. It’s kill or be killed. Believe me when I say this: It’s not going to be a dull fight.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BW5xYvKDmZu/
McGregor, Draymond Green feud on Instagram
McGregor posts a photo of himself on Instagram, wearing a Golden State Warriors’ No. 23 jersey. This upsets NBA player Draymond Green, who tells McGregor:
We rocking with Floyd (Mayweather) bro not you… take that off bruh.
McGregor responds in two posts:
That’s CJ Watson mate. I don’t know who the fuck you are. No disrepect tho kid, keep hustling and stay in school.
Now ask yourself why I’m rocking C.J when I don’t know or give a fuck about basketball. I dribble heads off the floor. Not a ball. This is no game here kid.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BW4djQ5lIb6/
McGregor’s choice of wearing a C.J. Watson jersey has subtext to it: Watson was linked to Mayweather’s domestic abuse case between him and former partner Josie Harris in 2010.
Top boxing coach: McGregor has ‘the fighter’s curse’
While others are focusing on McGregor’s height, boxing trainer Virgil Hunter takes note of some issues with McGregor’s physique.
One of the things that I noticed is that [McGregor’s] body – he has the waist of a model. He doesn’t have a fight trunk…he has a waist as opposed to a trunk. There’s a difference. You know, a trunk is strong, powerful, thick — not only be able to take it but get out of the way. But he has more of a model’s waist and if I’m thinking like Floyd, I’m thinking about the body because his body’s gonna be very vulnerable to body shots. Everything is sitting right there for you to touch. So I wouldn’t be surprised to see a lot of in-fighting on Floyd’s behalf…Also [McGregor] has what we call ‘The Fighter’s Curse.’ He has bone ridges over his eyes. I noticed he has cut a lot in the eyes in MMA fighting. He also has that jutting chin. So that’s a curse within itself also. But I expect him to cut over the eyes because of the bone ridges, and when those snapping punches hit you over the eyes like that he’ll get cut worse that he did in MMA. In my opinion he’ll cut up.
McGregor’s team hire referee Joe Cortez
McGregor’s team has retained the services of retired Hall of Fame referee Joe Cortez. Cortez will work for six weeks with McGregor and his team, conducting eight and twelve round fight simulations – where Cortez reads the rules and initial warnings, basically recreating a scenario similar to a professional boxing match. Cortez has worked in 986 professional bouts, of which 176 were world title fights.
They (McGregor’s group) were looking for a referee with a broad knowledge of the rules…for me it’s an honor. I’m working with McGregor as a unified boxing advisor. My job is to teach him not to commit any mistakes during his fight against Mayweather Jr…This will be a fight between a boxer and a mixed martial arts specialist. As I said, my role will be to prepare McGregor so that he does not commit any breach of the rules on the day of the fight. It’s an opportunity to recreate fights and their rules. He is a fighter who is learning very fast and has previous experience in fights and is moving quite well. The only thing I can say is that it will be an interesting fight.
McGregor spars in Gucci shorts
McGregor posts a picture of himself on Instagram, in £240 Gucci swimming shorts. He captions it:
Sparring today. The shorts are Gucci.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BWzcV1eA0MY/
McGregor nutritionist wants speed over power
Lockhart, who is working for McGregor in preparation for his fight with Mayweather, says nutritional tweaks are necessary going from one sport to the other, with the prominent change being a reduction in walking around weight.
With an MMA match, wrestling, (jiu-jitsu and) having someone on top of you, weight matters – with wrestling it does have a huge effect. With boxing, I believe speed is key. If I’m bigger than you but can’t hit you, it doesn’t make a whole lot of difference. Not as much grappling, the referee pulls you apart as soon as that does happen. I want to make sure the fighter is lower in weight, the cut is not as big and the reload is not as much…For an MMA fighter to reload, they’ll gain 15, 18 pounds, which gives them that advantage (on fight night). [For] boxing, I want him actually walking in close to weight the week of the fight. Walking in, weighing in and maybe gaining a couple pounds after that.
Nelson: Age could catch up with Mayweather
Former world cruiser-weight champion, Johnny Nelson, says Mayweather’s age could catch up with him against a ‘hungry’ McGregor.
Floyd Mayweather is 40 years old. He’s been out of the ring for a while. I know he’s top tier, we’re thinking there’s no chance this guy [will lose], but Conor McGregor is very fast individual, he’s got power in both hands. We want to see how age has affected Floyd Mayweather. In my head, Floyd does it hands down, but let’s not forget he’s in there against a 29-year-old hungry man that can hit, that’s fast and that wants it. So it is not a done deal…Guys that come from mixed martial arts, if you’re top level, you will blitz everybody until you come against someone who is technically supreme at boxing because your defence is too open. You saw this with Wladimir and Vitaly Klitschko. When they first came into boxing, especially Wladimir, he was getting knocked out, pick-pocketed, especially when he came against class fighters…They’ve got to tighten up a bit, change the balance, change the positioning. But fitness is second to none.
Danis: I really think Conor’s going to knock him out
Danis says McGregor will knock out Mayweather.
I’m telling you, he’s really going to knock him out. I really think it’s going to be a bad mismatch, I swear to God. I feel it. If you look at Mayweather: he’s in the strip club every night, he’s at a basketball game, he’s doing all this stuff. He’s not really focused, man. A lot of people don’t understand about Conor; he takes notes after every training session. He goes home and watches the tape, takes notes and literally.. it’s different for him. For Mayweather this is a sport, for us this is a lifestyle. Mayweather’s not a martial artist, so Conor is a different level from him.
Ellerbe: McGregor trolling with training videos
Mayweathe Promotions CEO, Leonard Ellerbe, says McGregor is trying to fool the world with his apparent slow pace in his training videos.
Conor McGregor is a smart dude. He’s a smart dude. Do y’all actually believe that footage he put out there is real? I’m just being honest. Do you honestly believe that he put that footage out there and it’s real looking the way it looked? C’mon now. Guess what? He tricked all y’all. Every last one of you. That he looked slow on the bag, he’s doing this and doing that. Y’all can fall for it. We’re not…I see a guy who’s got tremendous timing..Tremendous timing. How he’s coming over the top of guys’ jabs and when he touches them and turns it over, and then he’s doing damage. I mean, real damage. If he ain’t knocking him out, they’re falling down. And then they be messed up.
Mayweather: ‘Don’t believe’ McGregor KO’d in sparring
Mayweather says he doesn’t believe McGregor was knocked out during a sparring session.
If I ain’t seen no footage, I don’t believe it … me and Jessie Vargas are in communication.
