Mayweather first TV interview since McGregor fight
Mayweather appears for his first television appearance since the fight with McGregor, on Steve Harvey’s new talk show. Harvey asks if Mayweather and McGregor have spoken at all since the fight.
No, we haven’t spoke since the fight. We had a beef and settled our beef. We had a beef. I feel like I was the better man. Like I told him, experience will play a major key. But I said on paper everything leans towards Conor McGregor. You know, he’s 28, I’m 40-years-old. But, being in the sport 21 years, I just feel like the wisdom that I have, the IQ is totally, totally different. Especially when it’s at the pinnacle…I knew that he was used to fighting 25 minutes. I said once we get him past 25 minutes, he’s a dead man walking. Dead man walking.
McGregor’s post-fight interview
McGregor is interviewed by ESPN’s Brent Okamoto:
I’ve been watching highlights, trying to work out what’s what. I think I smoked him in the early rounds. I was pretty handy with him, but then he changed his style. He Put his hands up, came down low and put his forehead on his chest…He came forward. It threw me off. And he was composed on there…I felt like it was very close. I go through that wobbly stage, from fatigue. Let me go to the corner. Get down on a knee.
Bayliss to Mayweather Snr: Conor will knock your son out
During an interview with Mayweather Snr., Bayliss places a bet that McGregor will beat Mayweather:
Snr: The only thing I’m gonna tell you. I’m not gonna tell you that Conor McGregor is gonna get knocked out, but he’s gonna get his ass whooped…[But] I don’t even think it will last 12 rounds…At the end of this fight (raises hands in winning pose)…a’int no diggity, aint no doubt.
Bayliss: I’ll bet you a suit. Conor will knock your son out, because it’s the only way Conor’s gonna win this fight. Your son is going to underestimate what’s about to hit him, both in will and skill. This guy’s crazy…He’s gonna come at your son in ways you can’t even imagine.
Snr: That’s the way Floyd like ’em.
McGregor: Mayweather down in 2 rounds with 8oz gloves
McGregor says the switch to lighter gloves is to his advantage.
It’s backfired on him, I believe…I already agreed to it, but I put it in front of the public, and it must have dented his ego. That’s it. He tried to go ‘let’s do the eight ounces’. Now we’re going to do the eight ounces. Great, I usually fight in four so I don’t give a f***. I accepted these stipulations. No Mexican [gloves], no horsehair, no 10 ounce, all that. Eight ounce great. He’ll be asleep inside two [rounds]…[10 ounce in four]…I’m just trying to be humble. He’s gonna be down in the first. The only reason he may survive the first is because has ten seconds, and I can’t pounce in a mixed martial arts bout.
.@thenotoriousmma gives his prediction for #MayweatherMcGregor – watch the full interview w/ #ConorMcGregor here: https://t.co/f64k3tPoxU pic.twitter.com/ADrMSiACbr
— MMAFighting.com (@MMAFighting) August 12, 2017
Mayweather: ‘This is for all the blacks around the world’
In an interview with ESPN, Mayweather says he will not fight defensively, and will take the fight to McGregor, and that he didn’t like McGregor calling his team ‘monkeys’.
If you look like it on paper, it leads to Conor McGregor…This can’t be a defensive fight. I gotta go there. I have to go to him. I gotta do what I gotta do. I owe the public for the Pacquiao fight…I didn’t like when he called us monkeys. That was disrespectful. I didn’t like it…I just thought about all our different leaders, Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, that went on the front line for me and my family and all of my loved ones. And this stuff still goes on. But I’m smart, strong and patient…This is for all the blacks around the world.
McGregor: I’m building an empire
Talking after the press conference, McGregor talks about Mayweather’s tax troubles:
I believe he has to take this fight. He’s in a very dire financial situation. But, I’m still trying to learn this tax game as well. I’m only new money… Just have the checks ready and I’m gonna steam through your boy, take the bread and take off his whole game.
On his rapid success:
I’m grateful that this is my life. Building up this empire, and I’m still only 28. When Floyd was 28, he was nowhere near this level. I’m just a happy, hardworking young man, enjoying life.
And about his suit and new clothing line:
I love fashion. Fashion is very similar to fighting — it’s all about the small details.
White: Trump will be watching fight
Post press conference, White says unlikely President Trump will attend the fight, but he will be watching:
They called me yesterday and I don’t think they’re gonna come, but they’ll be watching… [President Trump] feels he’ll ruin the event if he shows up. The Secret Service is going to have to have to go through the place. They have to shut down streets and create crazy traffic.
Mayweather: ‘I’m rusty. I’m not as fast as I used to be’
After the LA press conference, Mayweather talks to Fight Hub TV. When asked if he is the same guy he was even two years ago:
No, not at all. I’m rusty. Extremely rusty. In the boxing gym I’m not as fast as I used to be… but I tell these young guys [I train with], ‘Remember, you guys are world champions in the boxing gym. I’m the world champion under the lights… It’s all about winning under the lights and making money when it counts’.
And, if he thinks McGregor can go twelve rounds:
He’s young. He can go fifteen rounds…I’m the old man. He’s the young man.
Khan: Mayweather will ‘walk through’ McGregor
In a preview of an upcoming interview with King. Khan says Mayweather will easily beat McGregor.
McGregor’s never had a boxing fight as a professional. That’s his first fight. He’s up against someone who is unbeaten in 49 fights…Being a boxing fight, it’s gonna be all Floyd. He’s gonna walk through him. He’s gonna make him miss…it’s gonna be a walk in the park for him.
Malignaggi: Mayweather will fight McGregor ‘very aggressively’
Malignaggi says that he will will be part of the US leg of his training.
I was a little bit surprised, but at the same time it’s something exciting. You don’t have to make the wait. It’s cool…I look forward to having a healthy training camp with Conor. I was contacted for sparring…probably a little bit of my boxing knowledge, tactical knowledge… I have a speed boxing style. I was more of a speedster. While it’s almost impossible to mimic [Mayweather’s] style, you spar with guys who have fast hands and get used to the speed. They were looking for guys with speed and that counterpunching fast style.
He also talks about Mayweather;s strategy.
The trick to Mayweather is…Mayweather will adjust to you..If you come in with some sort of success in the early rounds. You have to be prepared to be able to be like Bruce Lee, to be ‘like water’ and to adjust. Because Mayweather will adjust and give you that right back…I don’t think Conor will have enough time to have a distinct game plan. He will have to figure out these three or four key weapons in his arsenal to use them, disguise them in various ways, to use them against Mayweather…Conor is best at range, so if he tries to become a rugged physical fighter, how much is it going to work? But does McGregor even know enough to hide the dirty stuff? Conor has good speed and good timing, he has to work on variations…If I had to predict to you…I think Floyd will fight this fight very aggressively. There’s a mean streak in Floyd. He may start taking it to him and getting aggresive.
Woodley: Mayweather said ‘Conor’s gonna be pissed when he finds out how much money I’m making’
Woodley talks about spending time with Mayweather at the Maxim 100 party, where Mayweather praised him as ‘the best fighter in the UFC’.
We were just talking about the fight with him and Conor. We did a video. And I said, ‘Conor’s gonna loooove me after this video!’…He sees what I’m doing. He said to me, ‘I’ve been watching your highlights, you got crazy hands, you knocking people out, I can show you one or two thing; how you can never get hit again in the Octagon’…Floyd is really down to earth. The thing I notice about him is that he is in a setting like that, he’s trying to make sure every person is ok…I haven’t really hung out about Conor McGregor…Tell me? My ‘UFC brother’ has he hung around with me…I’m not saying I’m going against boxing versus UFC. I respect Conor, he’s the boss. He made a crazy move. He’s gonna get paid. I respect him, but that don’t mean he’s gonna be coming to my kid’s birthday party.
When asked if Mayweather said who would win the fight:
He said. ‘Conor’s gonna be pissed when he finds out how much money I’m making.’
Jeff Mayweather: Floyd is ‘getting ready for something’
Hee interviews Jeff Mayweather and Kevin Newman about the date, the venue, the weight, and Floyd’s training for the fight with McGregor. Jeff:
Well I don’t know anything. But Floyd is training, so he’s getting ready for something…Now he’s working consistently. Normally he wouldn’t do that unless he’s getting ready for something…To be honest, any time Floyd fights it’s gonna be huge…I’ve heard [they will fight at] 150. Floyd will be comfortable at any weight…It’s a boxing match, it’s not an MMA match, so it doesn’t matter what Conor brings. He’s got two hands just like Floyd.
Mayweather: ‘We are ready to go’
Mayweather is interviewed on Fox Live.
The only thing I do is have patience. No-one thought the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight would happen, but I had patience. Do I believe the fight is going to happen. I really don’t know when, as of right now. But me and my side…we are ready to go. They sign on the dotted line, and [we start] at training camp…’Ready to go’ is when they sign…The hold up is that Conor McGregor has a baby that’s due. After the baby is due we can go from there…[Regarding money] you have to work your way to become the A-side. In the UFC, he is the A-side. This is Mayweather Promotions working with the UFC. We are the A-side because of the numbers, because of the PPV numbers. His largest guarantee was only $3 million, no more than $5 million.
White: McGregor ‘will hit’ Mayweather
Appearing with Snoop Dogg, White says McGregor can beat Mayweather.
At the end of the day it’s a fight. Floyd Mayweather is 40 years old; Conor McGregor is 27. Conor’s a big dude. Floyd has trouble with southpaws; Conor McGregor is a southpaw. And Conor McGregor hits like a truck. When he hits you, you know it. So, in no way, shape or form am I saying Conor McGregor wins this fight. I don’t know. But it’s more interesting than people think it is. … I promise you Conor McGregor will hit him. When they fight (Mayweather) will get hit, and it will be interesting to see what happens.
GQ interview: My fist is bigger than Mayweather’s head
In an interview with GQ, McGregor talks about Mayweather.
You use the term ‘fighting’ differently, because he’s not been fighting for 40 years. He’s been boxing for 40 years. There’s a big difference between boxing and fighting. Boxing is limited fighting with a specific rule set. Fighting is true, where you can do anything.“Yeah, of course we are [talking about his rule set]. We’re talking about boxing. That’s it. But again, age waits for no man. He’s 40 years of age. He’s a little…he’s got a little head on him. Honestly, my fist is bigger than his head. I sleep people. I put people unconscious. I’m stating facts. If I hit that man, his head is gonna go into the bleachers. You understand that? If I crack that little head of his, it’s gonna go clean off his shoulders and up into the bleachers.
Mayweather: McGregor dodging fight
Mayweather claims McGregor is dodging the fight.
I’m not just the face of boxing. I’m the face of MMA. I support all fighters. They go through a lot to get to a certain level…Conor McGregor, I want to tell everybody this, right now; does he really wanna fight? Absolutely not. I’m trying to see if he really wanna fight but we can’t make the fight happen because he’s not his own boss. And I want to world to know this, just two fights ago he was just (tap, tap) tapping out. He was just (tap, tap) quitting. A lot of fighters, legendary fighters, fighters of today, MMA fighters, they call me and say, Floyd do what’s right. Call me what you want to call me but I’m not a quitter. I thought he lost [against Nate Diaz]. If Conor McGregor is kinda stealing the Floyd Mayweather blueprint, the bars with the cars, the jazzy dressing…I mean I can’t knock him. He’s doing what he’s supposed to do. Every fighter piggybacks off of the Mayweather name. I don’t even know him. I seen him (tap, tap) tap out…I’m an old man now I and I’m smart. And the best business move for me is Conor McGregor.
McGregor: ‘I don’t give a f-ck about Floyd!’
McGregor is interviewed at an event in Devenish nightclub in Belfast.
Originally what happened was: Floyd called me out. i don’t give a f-ck about Floyd. I don’t fear no man, under no rule set…and he leaks a rumour that we were going to fight. But it opened my eyes a bit. And I thought, hold on, maybe I can pursue this. Maybe I can pursue the boxing side…We were in the background with negotiations. It’s their move now. Since I got that boxing license, Floyd’s fat manager came out, ‘Floyd’s in the bahamas. He doesn’t care about Conor’. Well I don’t give a f-ck about Floyd either…So I don’t need Floyd. I hold all the numbers. I don’t need Floyd.
Mayweather ‘afraid of a fight’
In an interview with The LAD Bible, McGregor says Mayweather is afraid to fight (at 10m50s in video).
Floyd’s afraid of a fight. Floyd doesn’t want the fight. Floyd wants a boxing match. And I’ve already said ‘No problem! Get my f-cking money. And when you get my money then we can box, in this boxing match, under this set of specific rules that will keep you alive. I’m here. Where’s my money? Cos If you keep dropping my name and you don’t have the money I’ll show up at your front door, so we’ll see…I don’t need rules, so I’m open. Right now it’s just talk.
Kavanagh: Surprised if McGregor-Mayweather doesn’t happen
During a talk with MMA Underground, Kavanagh says he thinks McGregor-Mayweather will happen.
It puts it on hold. I think that contest will happen eventually but it’s on hold for now. I’d be very surprised if it doesn’t at some stage. I think it’s a bigger fight; I think there’s a lot of intrigue about it. I could be 100% wrong. Right now we’re focusing on August 20th. We have an important rematch – a mixed martial arts fight – but if in time that fight was to be announced it would not surprise me and I think it would be an interesting one.
It’s hard to beat Floyd with boxing because he seems to be almost perfect in terms of how defensive he is. I think if you’re a classically trained boxer you’re gonna lose to Floyd because he just seems to make everybody look quite ordinary. But maybe somebody who doesn’t strike like a boxer might be a new look for him. Maybe the odd sly knee and leg kick as well. [Laughs.] You get two warnings. [Laughs.]
Roach: Mayweather says fight is going to happen
Roach says Mayweather visited his gym, and told him to coach McGregor if the fight is announced.
Mayweather did come out to my [Wild Card] gym last week, and he asked me to take that job if it’s offered. He told me the fight’s gonna happen, and we’re gonna make a lot of money. I told Mayweather that it would take me at least three years to get him ready to fight you. Conor McGregor’s a tough guy, but being a tough guy doesn’t really help you much! He looks like an OK boxer, but he’s almost like a beginner…I do know that Floyd’s been training at one of my gyms, and he’s been sparring with some of my professional fighters, and I hear he’s not doing too well with my professionals.
