Rossi: Marquez dangerous, ‘plays tactics’ with bike
Rossi says he no longer buys his rival’s claims of weakness.
I always considered he was very dangerous. The Honda seems very good to me. According to me, when he talks about difficulties [with the bike], Marquez plays a bit of tactics, he feathers his own nest, but he knows very well that this is a very strong bike…It’s true also that he looks much faster than [Dani] Pedrosa, especially here [in Austin]. This means he’s comfortable and he will be hard to beat.
Rossi would welcome Vinales as teammate
Rossi says he has “no problems” with Vinales becoming his new Yamaha team-mate next season as Jorge Lorenzo nears closer to a Ducati move.
For me, no problem. It’s not a big difference if Lorenzo remain, or Vinales come, or also [Andrea] Iannone, or also [Dani] Pedrosa. It’s true for sure that with Vinales will be very hard, because he is very young, and he has a good talent, and I think that he will become one of the top riders of MotoGP very soon. I think that Vinales demonstrated today that he can stay with the top guys for all the season (Vinales was third in Free Practice)…I think he rides so well, he’s a clever rider, and he understands the way to use the MotoGP. So I think him together with his bike, they are growing up a lot.
Sonnen: McGregor not juicing
Sonnen defends McGregor after Nate Diaz’s accusation that McGregor was “full of juice”.
First off, Conor’s not on anything. I’m a guy that lived in that world. When a guy takes his t-shirt off, I can tell you exactly what he’s taking. I can look at his traps, I can look at his pecs; his definition. I know what he has taken and how he got to look that way. Conor’s clean. He’s got great genetics. He’s got good DNA going through his system. He’s just one of those guys that got lucky.
Looking for fourth Austin victory
Marquez says he is looking forward to the Austin GP. He won his first MotoGP race there in 2013, at age 20 the youngest ever rider to win a MotoGP, and has since won three straight victories all from pole position.
It’s a track that I like, where I feel strong, and where I’ve always had good races and good fun. The track rewards strong acceleration, which hasn’t been one of our strongest points so far this year, so we’ll have to wait and see how we can manage the situation. We’ll keep working hard, as we did in Argentina, and we’ll try to find the best pace for the Sunday race.
Dos Anjos: McGregor is a coward
Dos Anjos, UFC lightweight champion, calls McGregor a “coward” for putting off his first featherweight title defense. The featherweight division will continue to be held up for at least another half year or so as McGregor pursues fights against bigger men.
feel bad for Aldo and Edgar,after ufc200 Conor ll find another fight in a different division,so he can keep his belt for lil longer #coward
— Rafael dos Anjos (@RdosAnjosMMA) March 31, 2016
Calls on Ducati to fix tyre problems
Rossi says Ducati to fix tyre problems, after problems in Argentina resulted in a shorter race, with a bike change.
For me it’s two [factors] together. It’s taller riders that are a little bit more heavy, like Baz and Redding. I’m also quite tall. But especially it is the taller rider and the [type of] bike. Because all through the winter tests and the races in Qatar and Argentina, with the Yamaha, we never have [tyre] problems. So last week we were ready to race, to make the 25 laps. About our feeling on the bike and data about the tyre temperature – we don’t have any problems, fortunately. So I hope that also the other bikes, in this case the Ducati, can fix the problem. Because if not also all the other manufacturers have to race with the very hard, hard, hard tyre. And I think that is not good for the show, it is not good for the performance. So I think they have to fix the problem.
Michelin state that the Baz incident was a puncture. Three front tyres (soft, medium and hard) will be available for the CoTA race rather than the usual two options. The rear tyre choice will be soft or medium, both asymmetrical, with a harder right-hand-side.
Rossi: Lorenzo Joining Ducati ‘a bold choice’
When asked about speculation that Yamaha teammate Lorenzo will move to Ducati, Rossi says:
If he did, it was a bold choice. I [would] wish him luck, and also Ducati. I think he can still be competitive, because Lorenzo is a strong rider and now also the Ducati is a competitive bike. The situation Lorenzo finds himself in today is quite similar to mine at the time I did it [moved to Ducati]. I had been at Yamaha many years and I needed a new challenge. At the time I spoke with [former Ducati boss] Filippo Preziosi, who presented to me an interesting project to improve the Ducati – which had already won with [Casey] Stoner – and try to make it easier to ride for other riders. Ducati has made a lot of progress these last few years. The bike is very competitive, it’s very quick in a straight line. In the first two races of the year, they’ve shown they can be at the front.
Lorenzo:
I cannot tell you anything more than I told you in Argentina.
Diaz says he ruined plans for McGregor v GSP
If McGregor had won UFC 196, there were rumours that he would have been in line for a welterweight title shot against champion Robbie Lawler. However, Diaz, who won the bout, says the UFC would have lined up Georges St-Pierre for McGregor’s next fight.
I put a big old halt on that shit. Like what are you guys thinking that I’m some game to be played with? I’ve been in this game for too long to f–k with. Yeah, they had GSP there, they wanted to have this whole GSP/McGregor show bullshit. I don’t even want to hear that shit…GSP’s going to come out of retirement to fight this little ass Conor McGregor? What the f–k? This is all just a freak show now. Now what did I do? I pissed off Conor McGregor, I pissed off GSP and most of all I pissed off the UFC…I wanted to be the first one to speak up — you’re a f–king bully. You know you’re going to hold that little ass Irishman down. You’re going to hop in and take this money fight like ‘I’m coming back for this’ like what the f–k. Get your ass up to your weight class and Conor McGregor’s out of line, too, trying to fight big ass people.
‘Not strong in last laps, need to improve bike’
Rossi talks about the Austin GP. He is currently second in the championship standings.
I am happy to return to Texas and to race at CoTA. We have to work hard in Austin because it’s crucial to understand quickly how bike, tyres, electronics and this track work together. Furthermore in the last laps of the race I’m not very strong so we need to improve with the bike on these tyres. Historically it is a difficult circuit for us and for Yamaha, but last year I could arrive on the podium so I will try also this year.
Manager: McGregor will defend featherweight title after UFC 200
McGregor’s manager responds to comments that McGregor, who has yet to defend the featherweight title, will leave the division.
No, that would have already happened. That was something that Conor was adamant about. He’s going to keep his belt, he’s going to defend. At the end of the day, if he was going to vacate, he would have done it already.
Second set of tyres ‘did not feel good’
Rossi says the decision to change the bikes mid-race was not in his favor.
For me, personally, no. Because we can make all of the race without any problem. We can do 25 laps. But for safety reasons it is OK like this. In the first part I was a lot stronger, a lot more competitive. I thought that I could do a very good fight to try to win. It’s also a shame because, essentially, during the weekend with Yamaha, we never had problems with the tyres. So for the problem of another bike we needed to change everything when we don’t suffer. For some reason with the second bike, especially with the second set of tyres, I didn’t feel good. I had a lot more problems to have the same pace.
Claims McGregor ‘full of juice’
Aldo claims McGregor was using banned substances prior to his fight at March 5.
The fight was not at featherweight. Why would I rematch him in a different weight class with no belt? Now, to make this fight at 155, where he was full of juice in his body, where he hides and nobody tests him, only when he gets to Las Vegas, a week before the fight, and then it’s way easier for you to clean the body and fight. They offered the fight knowing that I wasn’t trained at all. I can’t say anything. I can train, beat Frankie Edgar and then know that I’ve earned my fight for the title again.
On trying to get a rematch:
We called and texted him every day (asking for the rematch) and nothing. There was no talk for a month…They already had in mind who to put against Conor. That’s the path they try to follow, and it’s kind of dirty to me. There’s no negotiation. We ask, and not always we get a response. When they respond is like that, and then they say they love us. It’s a bit weird. But what can I do?”
He thinks Diaz will win.
He’s used to this weight. It’s really hard to move up in weight and continue winning. It’s going to be different now that Nate will be more prepared. He can do his thing, anything he wants, from start to end.
Palhares: ‘I would kill Conor McGregor’
Appearing in the UK for the upcoming Polaris Pro 3 event, Palhares says he would consider a return to the UFC to take on McGregor.
I am happy to be here and even happier that all my British fans are supporting me whilst I’m here…I know I have an image as a bad boy in the ring but that is not the person that I am underneath. If people got to really know me they would see what I am really like. I have made some mistakes in the past and during fights but I am a good person…I would consider returning to the UFC just to fight McGregor. I would kill him. He is too small and weak in Jiu Jitsu to beat me. It would be a privilege to fight him but I would dominate with my ground game and submit him easily. When I play the fight In my head I see him giving in from a foot hold. He is too small to beat me. He shouldn’t be in my division but a fight is a fight.
Diaz sick of McGregor rematch praise
Diaz says he is annoyed by the praise UFC and others are giving McGregor for the rematch.
Completely irritated. I’ve lost decisions that I didn’t really lose and if I asked to get a rematch, it was out of the question like ‘Are you kidding me, don’t even ask.’ But this guy is getting praised for wanting a rematch. It’s like get the f–k out of here, this is the fight game. Whoever has lost a fight in the UFC and hasn’t wanted to fight that guy the next day shouldn’t be in the sport. All of a sudden he’s getting praised for losing and wanting a rematch? Get the f–k out of here, I’m sick of hearing it…Have you heard any praise out of Dana White or the UFC for me winning the fight at all? Nothing. At this point it’s not even about me and (McGregor). It’s me versus the whole f–king organization.
Also says that he brought the value of the purse up.
Do you think he would have made 1.5 million pay-per-views with Rafael dos Anjos? No, he would have made 700,000, maybe 900,000 but I got a following too.
Aldo: McGregor will be shamed
Aldo says he expected McGregor to return to featherweight and fight him, and surprised when the UFC offered him an interim title fight at UFC 200 against Frankie Edgar instead.
You know as an athlete obviously it’s good because I get to fight, but as a fan it sucks. There’s not much I can say but it really doesn’t have any logic behind it. To me it makes no sense really. Because everyone thought he was going to come back and defend his title and now he’s fighting Nate again. It’s a fight that doesn’t get anyone, anywhere. It doesn’t get Conor anywhere. It doesn’t get Nate anywhere. So it really makes no sense, I don’t know what’s going on…I don’t think there’s any way for [the outcome] to be different. We saw what happened last time. Maybe the only difference is that Nate is going to be even better prepared and Conor’s shame is going to be even greater…He needs to come back to featherweight. There’s no way he can just hold onto that belt for a long time.
Comments on Qatar booing
After Lorenzo and Marquez were booed on the podium at Qatar, Marquez says he is prepared to encounter more negativity.
It’s something that, for example, in soccer I heard and I don’t like. So I don’t like it in MotoGP, also if it’s against me. But in the end it’s something that, I’m not stupid, I know that it will be usual. We must adapt and for me the most important thing, is it doesn’t matter the [supporter merchandise] colour of the fans – if it’s yellow, black, red – I think everybody enjoyed the race in Qatar.
Lorenzo says he is confused by the reaction:
We didn’t do anything wrong during the last months. We just concentrated on going very fast. I won the championship, Marc tried to do [his best] in 2015 and he is starting this season also like me – to try to be professional and to try to be the best on the track.We are risking our life in the process. So I don’t know what we did wrong, just be very fast and beat some riders.
Rossi:
Boo? I don’t know. I don’t know.
Edgar: McGregor won’t return to featherweight
Edgar says that, due to his non-response to his social media posts and interviews, McGregor is not going to return to featherweight.
He didn’t respond to anything. He’s so quick with his tongue and he didn’t respond to anything I was putting out there talking about the fight so I did feel that he was going to stay up and try to get that rematch with Nate.
However, he says he is happy about his match-up with Jose Aldo for interim featherweight:
I heard speculation that’s what they might want, but nothing concrete and then Dana called me yesterday and asked me. My reaction, I said yes. What the (expletive) am I going to do?…Let’s just call it the No. 1 contender belt cause that’s what it really is. But I’ll play the game. They did it for Conor, they gave him a belt and if I’ve got to play the whole Conor game to make sure I get this fight, I’m OK with it…The title is definitely what I want. If he never comes back down, I end up becoming champion, I’m a two weight class champion — something he’s trying to do. Maybe I’ll just have to chase him up to 170 to make that fight, to make that payday. Especially if I have the belt he never defended, why not? We can defend it at 155 or 170 if it makes him feel better, but honestly the focus needs to be on Aldo so I’m not too worried about Conor right now.
White: McGregor ‘obsessed’ with rematch
UFC president White says he talked to McGregor after his defeat by Diaz.
After the fight, Lorenzo (Fertitta) and I went up to Conor’s house that he was renting here in Las Vegas and started talking about what are you thinking, what’s next and he was obsessed — obsessed with fighting Nate Diaz again. Obviously, Lorenzo and I tried to argue with him and say ‘let’s go back down to 145 an defend your title’ or if you really want the Diaz fight that bad, do it at 155. He wants the fight at 170. Even his coach, coach (John) Kavanagh tried to get him off this rematch and off the 170 pound fight, but it’s what he wanted…[Nate said] ‘He wants to do it again, let’s do it again’. Nate was obviously up for the fight.
UFC 200: McGregor vs Diaz rematch announced
The rematch between McGregor and Diaz is set for July 9, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The fight will take place at 170 pounds, 25 pounds above McGregor’s usual 145-pound fighting weight. Frankie Edgar will fight Jose Aldo for the interim featherweight title.
Silva wants to fight McGregor
Silva says he wants to fight McGregor:
That’s a challenge I would like to do. I’ve never asked to fight anybody, but I would like to test my martial arts skills against Conor McGregor. I would like that and a rematch with Nick Diaz and Michael Bisping. I think McGregor is a great striker, but he didn’t do very well in his last fight because he played into Nate Diaz’s game and that’s really hard. The Diaz brothers have a lot of gas. You have to respect him, the loss to Diaz doesn’t diminish his career at all. These are the fighters I would like to fight. McGregor, Diaz and Bisping because that fight did not end nicely.