Anik: GSP vs McGregor would be biggest fight in UFC history
On his podcast Anik says St-Pierre vs. McGregor would be the biggest fight in UFC history and bring in more than two million PPVs.
It is absolutely massive. Is that a bigger fight than Mayweather -McGregor? I don’t know that I can take that leap, but it’s damn close.
Conor McGregor vs GSP would be the biggest fight in UFC History Would Do 2+ M PPV Buys' – Via the Anik & Flo podcast https://t.co/hzcVRnL3h2
— Conor McGregor News (@ConormcGregor5) February 22, 2017
Bayless: Mayweather wants no part of McGregor
On his Undisputed show, Bayless says to co-host Sharpe that Mayweather is simply toying with McGregor.
He’s doing it again. He’s dropping hints. He’s telling Freddie Roach, ‘Get ready to train him,’ because he knows Freddie will spread this news like it’s fertiliser. And he knows, Floyd does, that he can now lead people to believe this fight is this close to happening. And when it gets that close, in the end Floyd will bow out and he will make the excuse that Conor McGregor is making ‘outrageous, unrealistic demands.’ He does it every time, because he wants no part of Conor McGregor…[Mayweather] cannot risk this. He cannot risk losing to some MMA fighter and going 49-1 and having his legacy tarnished and tainted, with the disgrace of losing to Conor McGregor. Can you imagine what it would be to Floyd’s career? He doesn’t need this. Do you realise Floyd May-or-May-not-weather is about to turn 40 on Friday and Conor McGregor is still 28 years of age? Because he sees Conor McGregor, as Freddie Roach will be the first to tell you, has punching power. I think he has punching power that Floyd hasn’t seen before.
Sharpe:
There’s a simple creed in professional sports or any business: If it makes dollars, it makes sense. This makes plenty of dollars, and it makes a lot of sense. Because let’s just say when Floyd Mayweather fought Manny Pacquiao, it did 4.4 million buys. Over $400 million in pay-per-view dollars, and the gate was $72 million. A lot of people are going to watch (because) ‘I want to see Floyd get his butt kicked.’ A lot of people are going to watch (because), ‘I want to see Conor get his butt kicked.’ Now let’s see what these styles are going to do stylistically, because they’re totally different.
Coach: Nurmagomedov won’t wait to fight McGregor if he boxes Mayweather
Nurmagomedov’s coach comments on the situation that will arise if he beats Tony Ferguson in UFC 209. In that case, Nurmagomedov should fight McGregor, but if McGregor fights Mayweather, Nurmagomedov will be forced to sit on the sidelines for several months before being handed the opportunity to unify the interim and undisputed titles. Coach:
The way I look at it is when Khabib wins, not if Khabib wins, it’s a matter of what Khabib wants to do next. I don’t think Khabib will wait for Conor. Conor is going to do what Conor wants to do. Khabib isn’t going to wait around for Conor.
St-Pierre coach wants return bout with McGregor or Bisping
Zahabi, St-Pierre’s coach, says he wants cross-division super fights.
I was really happy when there was a buzzing of Bisping or McGregor. I thought those two would be two epic fights. One, he would go a little lower, one he would go a little higher. But those are really, really intriguing fights. Of course, Tyron Woodley, he’s the champion and et cetera, but he has his fight with ‘Wonderboy’, and if ‘Wonderboy’ wins, then they’ll have a trilogy. And of course we don’t want to fight with ‘Wonderboy,’ we go way back together. So I think the welterweight title is not really something [GSP] is thinking about right now because of the current landscape.. but there is always the 185-pound belt. And of course, McGregor is such a mega-star that if you put those two on a main event, I don’t think that anybody in the world wouldn’t watch that. I think that even non-MMA fans would watch that.
White: St-Pierre might return at 155-pounds
White says St-Pierre may cut to 155-pounds on his comeback, which could potentially set up a weight match with Conor McGregor.
It could be the winner between Tyron Woodley and Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson, or it could be Michael Bisping. Georges has also talked about fighting at 155 pounds. He says he can make the weight.
Power talks about growing up with McGregor
Lincoln City’s Power talks about growing up with McGregor in Crumlin.
We used to knock around in the same circle of friends back home when we were growing up. He played Sunday League football where I did – actually he wasn’t a bad footballer, but he chose a different path. He made the right decision, he’s a better fighter than a footballer, but who knows, I might have been the same…I’ve not spoken to him in years – he’s a superstar now. The last time I spoke to him he was cage fighting in Dublin and wasn’t too sure if he was going to continue with it, but he’s a phenomenon. When he went over to America to fight in the UFC, we lost touch, but everyone who knew him then, we’re so proud of everything he has achieved. [Doing the Billy walk after I got the penalty] was just my way of paying a little tribute. There has been a lot of hype surrounding it since but I’ve not heard from him. I know BT Sport tried to contact him on Twitter, but I doubt he even looked at it. He’s a busy man, he’s got bigger things to worry about than a footballer he used to know from Lincoln, but I hope he’s seen it.
McGregor: Kardashian ass comment ‘was a compliment’
In Las Vegas, McGregor says he was actually complimenting Khloe Kardashian’s ass in his GQ interview.
That was a compliment. They wrote that like it was a bad thing.
McGregor: ‘Floyd’s a bitch and he’s petrified’
In Las Vegas, McGregor says Mayweather has been avoiding him.
Floyd’s a bitch, and he’s petrified. I flew to Las Vegas and he didn’t show his face, I touched down in Las Vegas and he retired twice.
Fat Joe: Conor McGregor is God
Fat Joe says he is a big fan of UFC, and of McGregor.
I’m a casual fan with the fights. You know, I go for the big one — so I go [for] my man McGregor. It’s like smoking drugs when I see this guy. It’s a f-cking movie, bro. McGregor, he’s been the biggest inspiration to me with the mixed martial arts. He’s been my hero. He talked shit to the Brazilian guy and knocked the motherf-cker out! He beat a guy that [didn’t] lose in ten years and knocked him the f-ck out. Thirteen seconds. You’re fighting a guy who’s won every match in ten years. You get up there and talk all kind of obscenities you can think of. He gets in the ring and knocks the motherf-cker out in thirteen seconds. I thought he was God!
Atlas: McGregor should break rules to beat Mayweather
Atlas says that McGregor could have an advantage in not playing by the rules in a fight with Mayweather.
If McGregor really can’t win the fight standing up, under (boxing) rules — and those would be the rules — then why would he take it? Because he would break the rules. He would come in there, he would break the rules, he would pin pin him, and then he would proclaim himself as the ‘king of the ring’. Even though he might lose the purse money, his brand would go through the roof. He’s a promotional genius, just like Floyd is, just like Muhammad Ali was. Nobody is thinking of that part of it. Floyd, before he puts his John Hancock on any contract, he better think that part of it.
‘100 mill a knock f-ck what you think’
McGregor posts to Twitter.
100 mill a knock fuck what you think pic.twitter.com/tXNQmLrnIL
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) February 17, 2017
Aldo: McGregor-Mayweather fight cannot happen without UFC permission
Aldo says McGregor cannot fight Mayweather without the permission of the UFC.
It will never happen. This will only happen if the UFC wants to. It could be against Mayweather or anyone else, if a fighter has a contract with the UFC, nobody can go over the UFC.
He also says McGregor is not as well liked as he thinks.
McGregor’s reputation is already bruised. The only ones who like him are the Irish people, no-one else. If you ask in Brazil or in any other country, nobody cheers for him, no one considers him a champion, they always consider him a piece of shit.
Attar: ‘It feels more real now than it ever has’
McGregor’s manager says the McGregor-Mayweather fight is becoming more real.
It started with Floyd talking, right? And now it’s evolved to the UFC making offers. So it feels more real now than it ever has. That then makes it a very, very intriguing and interesting business opportunity, and athletic opportunity for Conor. So we’re excited. Hopefully it comes to fruition…I think people are sleeping on Conor’s power. Again, Floyd is super experienced, you’re going into his domain. But Conor’s counter-striking, his timing, and his power…Floyd’s never faced anyone with his reach. So as a fan, I’m excited to see that. With the bigger gloves, I don’t think Conor is going to get knocked out. But I do believe he has a chance of knocking Floyd out.
Mayweather to McGregor: Get in touch with my people
Mayweather responds to McGregor’s throne image.
— Floyd Mayweather (@FloydMayweather) February 15, 2017
NSAC Director: We will approve McGregor-Mayweather fight
Nevada State Athletic Commission Executive Director Bennett says he doesn’t anticipate any issues in regards to the sanctioning of the possible Mayweather-McGregor bout.
That’s certainly a fight that we would approve and have in Vegas. Who wouldn’t want to regulate the two best fighters at 150 pounds in their respective unarmed combat fields? Mayweather’s a phenomenal fighter, and so is McGregor. Sure, that’s a fight we would approve…[McGregor]’s a phenomenal athlete. He’s arguably one of the best strikers from the UFC. He’s in great shape; he’s hardcore, he trains hard, fights hard. Mayweather is arguably one of the best fighters of all time because he doesn’t believe in getting hit. But let’s not forget Floyd (will be) 40 and Conor is 28, so it’d make for a great fight.
‘I am in Las Vegas. Floyd has retired on my arrival.’
McGregor responds to Mayweather’s comment that his is ‘happily retired’.
I am in Las Vegas. Floyd has retired on my arrival. pic.twitter.com/z9EcxBJaDr
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) February 15, 2017
Hardy: ‘In a real fight Mayweather loses to every UFC fighter’
Hardy says Mayweather could not beat any UFC fighter outside of boxing rules.
Mayweather doesn’t beat anybody in the top 50 in mixed martial arts, in any weight class. In a boxing match, Mayweather is probably the best technical boxer in the world, and I don’t see any boxer being able to hang with him under boxing rules. But if we’re talking about fighting, actual knuckles banging, and we’re talking about who’s going to win a fight, Mayweather loses to every fighter in the UFC roster.
NSAC confirms McGregor-Mayweather discussions
Anthony Marnell, the Nevada State Athletic Commission Chairman confirms that McGregor has been in talks with Mayweather:
I’m confirming that real people are having real discussions. I’m also telling you my opinion as the Nevada Athletic Commission chairman that a lot of things need to get done in order to see something like this come together because there are so many parties that want to get their hands on the pot. Maybe it will get figured out, but it’s going to be hard when everyone is declaring they want $100 million. That’s not what I said — that’s what they’ve said. That’s their quotes, not mine. If everyone wants $100 million, that’s a lot of $100 millions to go around.
Cowherd: Mayweather is ‘boring’, McGregor is ‘our Ali’
Cowherd says McGregor is a far more interesting fighter than Mayweather.
Conor McGregor is our Ali. Floyd Mayweather was undefeated, but he’s boring. He’s all about money. How many people do you know that wear dollar signs on their hats that are fascinating? Floyd Mayweather is not a fascinating personality. He’s not a fascinating self-promoter. He’s not a fascinating fighter. He’s a boring fighter. He’s stylistically capable of shutting people down — you don’t land punches. He’s not captivating…[He’s] not even close to being one of the most interesting. Ali was more interesting. Joe Frazier was more interesting…In the world we live in today, Conor McGregor engages the public, is a self promoter, connects with the fans, can drive pay per view numbers. And it really speaks to the erosion of boxing that Floyd’s fighting him, because there’s no one else to fight.
https://www.facebook.com/TheHerd/videos/1970872346467288/
Mayweather: ‘No deals, I’m retired’
Mayweather responds to rumours of a fight with McGregor.
— Floyd Mayweather (@FloydMayweather) February 14, 2017