Diaz: ‘I thought the show was over’
Diaz talks to UFC Tonight about the water bottle fight.
That guy [McGregor] walks in like he was the show. But I thought the show was over, so I left the show…I’m too real for this whole game, and they can’t have a guy like me winning because look at what’s happening. I get paid finally, I’ve been stuck in contracts for years, and then they sell the UFC. It’s changing baby, and it’s because of what’s going on here. And if people don’t recognize that they’re tripping. And the same thing, that’s why they threw me right back in there, they want to weed me out and get me out of here before it gets too big. But it’s already an unstoppable force that’s going at a high pace, so the game is in trouble with someone like me winning. So that’s why. They know me and they know that, they hope I don’t win…It’s all good either way though because I cannot be killed and regardless, win or lose, which I plan on winning, my voice is still going to be heard. My mic got too big to not be heard.
Talks about bottle-throwing incident
McGregor talks about the bottle-throwing incident at the UFC 202 pre-fight press conference.
We’re brand new. We’re absolutely brand new. It was handbags. If they want to fight, let’s fight…They tried to bottle me. If they throw bottles I’ll throw cans. It was all in self defense. I was scared for my life. [Interviewer: were you really?] No…I’m good. I have a fight Saturday night and I get to punch him in the face.
Rossi ‘curious’ over Brno potential
Rossi says he is ‘curious’ to discover if he can match Jorge Lorenzo’s pace at Brno in the Czech Republic GP.
I like that we go back on track immediately. In Austria I wanted to get on the podium but I wasn’t able to so unfortunately. Anyway, it was a good race. After the tests we were a little bit in trouble but during the race we didn’t do so badly. Now we go to Brno, a track that we know well and that I like very much. Last year Jorge was much faster than me and I’m curious to see if this year I will do better. We are working well and the Brno GP is close. I want to get back on track.
Refugee detention center to close
The Papua New Guinea government says Australia will close the Manus Island detention center. The announcement comes less than a day after more than a hundred former and current staff members at Australia’s offshore detention camps have called for all refugees to be moved immediately, saying children’s lives are being “destroyed.” Papua New Guinea Prime Minister O’Neill:
Papua New Guinea and Australia are in agreement that the center is to be closed.
Backs dashboard messaging
Rossi says he supports the introduction of a MotoGP dashboard messaging system in 2017. The ‘virtual boarding’ system under development lets teams to send pitboard-style messages to a rider’s dashboard. Testing is slated to start at the Aragon round next month.
It’s good, I like it. During the race, especially in flag-to-flag, it can be a help. Also it can be good for safety – if you have a crash in front, or a yellow flag, or some people have a problem with the engine and there’s oil. Also because I always make the wrong decision! Maybe with the message in the dashboard it’s more easy.
Says UFC 200 ‘bombed’ without him
In an interview with GQ, McGregor says UFC 200 was not successful without him.
People spend a lot of money to come see me fight from my hometown (in Ireland), and they had already purchased tickets, so I wanted to get back on that card. They weren’t having it. They didn’t put me on the card — that’s OK —and the card bombed. I was ringside. The fights weren’t great, but now here we are.
Would have quit after retirement tweet
In his interview with MMA Hour, McGregor says he would have quit after his tweet.
If it came down to it, I would have [retired]. But I mean, good luck keeping an Irish man from a fight. I woulda shown up and slapped someone the way it was all going down, but f-ck it. I was happy, when it all came down to it. For a day I was like f-ck it, I am retired! Put the feet up I did that night, had a f-cking drink, went out. Then it kinda got a little more serious…Whatever, it was a crazy experience. But if it came down to it, f-ck yeah. I’d have a knock somewhere else. I don’t know what would have happened, but like I said, I’m comfortable. Win, lose draw, whatever happens its shrimp spaghetti to start for me for the rest of my life. I’m eating good for the rest of my days. Whatever happens, happens. But I do enjoy a good old fashioned knock, so that’s why I’m happy to be back.
Quits Instagram
Bieber quits Instagram after after fans got hostile over a picture of him and Richie together in Japan. Bieber tweets:
I’m gonna make my Instagram private if you guys don’t stop the hate this is getting out of hand, if you guys are really fans you wouldn’t be so mean to people that I like.
Gomez responds in the comments:
If you can’t handle the hate then stop posting pictures of your girlfriend lol – it should be special between you two only. Don’t be mad at your fans. They love you. They were there for you before anyone.
Bieber and Gomez then exchange tweets about them cheating on each other. Bieber then makes his Instagram private, before deleting it entirely.
‘I will be fighting in enemy territory’
In his MMA Hour interview, McGregor says there are likely to be fewer Irish fans in attendance this Saturday than at recent bouts, something that he predicted would create a different, perhaps hostile, atmosphere.
I estimate that I will be fighting in enemy territory this time. Usually it’s been home for me in this place, with the travelling fans. I estimate that I will be going in to a war zone here, that’s what I’m estimating, that’s what I’ve been preparing for, that’s what I’m looking forward to. But there are many reasons why the Irish fans can’t make it. The [UFC] 200 debacle, where they took me off that card – people had already purchased tickets for that. Then of course the European Championships, then the Olympics, there is a lot of stuff going on and, of course, I’m an active fighter. I fight every goddamn month. I fight all the f-cking time. As far as ticket sales, ticket sales have been good. It’s a 20,000 seater stadium, if it was the MGM, it’s already sold out. So the ticket sales have been great for such a big arena, at this time of year, the end of summer, with everything going on. Now I understand that it’s big business out here, and that’s why we are here. I’ve got to handle my self too, as much as I want to perform for my fans back home and I want to have shows back home, I’ve still got to handle my business out here. I know my countrymen will be supporting me wherever they are. I know there will be may here in town and I know there will be even more back home in Ireland and all over the world supporting me.
Obama ‘tired of talking about Trump’
At a $10,000-a-head fundraiser for Hillary Clinton on Martha’s Vineyard, President Obama says he is tired of talking about Trump.
You notice I haven’t said much about her opponent. Frankly, I’m tired of talking about her opponent. I don’t have to make the case against her opponent because every time he talks he makes the case against his own candidacy…This has been an unpredictable election season. Not only because of anxieties and concerns that the American people have, but also because of the changing nature of the media and voting patterns. There’s still a lot of uncertainty out there. And if we are not running scared until the day after the election, we are going to be making a grave mistake.
‘Difficult to win’ points over Marquez
Roosi comments on closing the gap with Marc Marquez.
I’m very happy, because I recovered two points, so if we have 100 races, I can win the championship! Apart from jokes, it’s good to arrive in front of Marquez and we have to try to continue like this. For sure, in other tracks, the situation will change, but we have to try to stay always fast and take as many points as possible. It’s difficult to win a lot of points over Marquez, but the championship is very long so we have to try for maximum, also for second place [in the standings].
Attacks media
Trump sends out a series of tweets saying he is running against the media.
If the disgusting and corrupt media covered me honestly and didn't put false meaning into the words I say, I would be beating Hillary by 20%
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 14, 2016
Crooked Hillary Clinton is being protected by the media. She is not a talented person or politician. The dishonest media refuses to expose!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 14, 2016
Friday Free Practice: 4th place
After finishing FP2 in fourth — 0.866s back of pace setter Andrea Dovizioso, and 0.6s off Andrea Iannone — Rossi says that he is concentrating on Ducati slipstream and fuel.
We have to just give the maximum, try to fix all the small details to go a bit faster on the straight. But you know, is very difficult to go faster on the straight. You can try to exit faster from the corner, but on the straight, the level is what it is. But you never know. It’s just Friday, we have Saturday, and especially the race is always different. It depends very much if we are able to keep the slipstream of the Ducati. The Ducati have a lot of horsepower, but what they are able to do better compared to the Yamaha and Honda is less wheelie. For this reason, they are very fast in acceleration. Because it looks like the bike accelerates more with less wheelie on the front. So for this reason it’s very difficult. It’s too early to say if we can fight with Ducatis. For me, for sure is more more important [Jorge] Lorenzo and [Marc] Márquez than the Ducati, but I don’t want to start just for third place. It’s too early. We have to try to stay with them. Also because 28 laps are very long.
Nutritionist interview
Lockhart, McGregor’s nutritionist, talks about preparation for UFC 202.
I head out there this week to make sure he’s taken care of, feeling good and that his performance is top-notch. When you don’t have to worry about that (weight cut), it’s super simple. We can give his as much energy and food as he needs based on the requirements of the performance. Obviously, we’re not really cutting this fight, so it’s all about performance, which is fun. It makes my job fun. This time, we’re going to take a look at everything and make sure it’s on point and he’s giving the body what it needs…There are so many things that can hinder your performance. For instance, if someone eats too close to a fight, what happens is that the body is sending blood to my stomach and is literally trying to do two things at once. It’s trying to digest food and it’s also trying to give you the oxygenate the blood need to perform in the actual fights…The thing about Conor is that he stays lean all the time and is very disciplined. And the leaner you are, the easier the weight cut is going to be, because muscle holds a lot of water.
Kavanagh: McGregor nearly went off the rails
Kavanagh says that, after his loss to Sitenkov in 2008, McGregor stopped attending SBG and went missing for a few weeks. Concerned by his behaviour, McGregor’s mother, Margaret, called Kavanagh to try and get him to convince her son to return to training and steer him back on track.
Yeah (it was big). Maybe you and me wouldn’t be talking now (if it didn’t happen). At that stage, he’d already disappeared for four or six weeks. I kind of just moved on with what I was doing and sort of half forgot about him if I’m being honest. Over the years, I must have had what must be over tens of thousands of guys come through my doors at this stage. You get these little flames of enthusiasm and sparks of possibilities but then they fizzle out for the 99.9-per-cent. So, I think I was already putting him down to being one of those could’ve been type people. And maybe if I hadn’t of driven up that night to try give us one more chance, maybe he would’ve been a has been and be that guy on the bar stool talking about ‘I could’ve been that guy, I could’ve done this.’ So yeah, I’m glad his mother called me and I’m of course very happy that I went up there and we worked it out and he came back. And since then, we’ve been a fairly rock-solid team.
Defends bond buybacks
Highfield defends plans to buy back Johnston Press bonds at a healthy discount. Prices vary but last traded values on the Frankfurt exchange were just under 60p/£, meaning that it could net a considerable saving of the full capital value that is due for repayment in 2019. The bonds have a 8.625 per cent coupon and cost the company nearly £20m per year just to service interest.
We have always stated we would use disposals to both strengthen balance sheet and pay down debt.
Reviews Sky TV ad sales deal
Johnston Press says it will review a three-year deal with Sky TV, over concerns that it may be losing some of its most lucrative advertisers to the pay-TV company’s AdSmart product. Highfield:
I think it is one of those products which we need to think hard about in terms of whether we are giving potentially some of our best customers away. It needs to be really closely reviewed in terms of making sure it is beneficial to both firms. Both firms, Sky and us, are still committed to try and make this work but I think it is a product we are currently under review on.
Relationship with Marquez improving
Rossi says his relationship with Marquez has improved.
I think that after what happened, all the rest becomes not very important. Very very small. I think it’s the right thing to do. Our relationship has improved since Montmelo.
Spends $300,000 on training
McGregor says he has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on training for UFC 202. The camp is based out of a six-bedroom mansion that sits on a two-acre lot, and includes a masseuse, a performance coach, a movement coach, a nutritionist and sparring partners. Grappling partner Dillon Danis, from New York, was flown to Dublin, then Las Vegas. Irish middleweight boxer Conor Wallace was brought in to mimic Diaz’s striking style. The camp also includes a videographer.
With gyms, cars, transport, flights, accommodations — I’d estimate we’re talking a $300,000 camp here. This is a big, big expense — but what I make is big. So, in the bigger picture, it’s rather small…This is most certainly not another fight,” McGregor said. “I have done things differently this fight. We have been going to war every single day in the gym in preparation for this. So, this is a war to me. It’s nice to have this feeling that the man [Diaz] will show up. The man I’m set to face will be there. So, the preparation has been there… I’m happy [the loss against Diaz] happened, because it forced me to look at my preparation, look at the route I was going on. It forced me to reassess…Make no mistake, this one means a hell of a lot to me. This one means more than any amount of money or gold combined. I gave up a hell of a lot of money, gave up Hollywood opportunities, for this contest. I wanted to restrict the media. That should tell you how much this fight means to me. I’ve been preparing accordingly.
Spielberg Turn 8 ‘very dangerous’
Rossi says he is concerned about Turn 8 of the Austrian GP at Spielberg. Organisers took the decision to modify the final corner, Turn 10, by making the track narrower to reduce the risk of a serious accident by distancing the riders from the outside wall.
This track is very fast, and when a track is fast it’s always dangerous. Especially the exit of Turn 8 remains very dangerous. On a normal lap, you go through it quite easily, but it’s [taken at] very high speed and the wall is quite close. This for me is the most dangerous point that we have to try to improve in the next years.