Floyd Mayweather Jr.

McGregor turns down the offer to train at Mayweather’s Las Vegas gym ahead of his return to the UFC.  Whilst McGregor did not directly respond to the gym offer, he seemed to shut down any chance of training at Mayweather’s headquarters.

F*** the Mayweathers, except Senior and Roger. There is no peace here kid. Step up or step down.

Fuck the Mayweathers, except Senior and Roger.
There is no peace here kid.
Step up or step down.

— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) August 29, 2018

McGregor takes to Instagram to say that talks between him and Mayweather, to meet in an MMA rematch, have ended unsuccessfully, as Mayweather has decided to remain in retirement.

I am happy for Floyd and his recent announcement that he is out of these current fight negotiations. It is the reason I never seeked the rematch in the first place. I was happy for him in retirement. My game is a very unforgiving one. It is not like other games. I understand completely him staying retired. I will now carry on in my negotiations and see where it goes. Have a great retirement Junior. Now come here and give your old man a hug for old time’s sake. I’m proud of you son. Yours truly, Senior.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BfWLCi1HhO-/?

McGregor says he would respect Mayweather for fighting in MMA.

If he does do it, I know he’s flirting with it, I would have respect for him. I think it would get his earned respect then, if he was to step in [the Octagon]. He’s engaging, we’re engaging, so we’ll see…Of course, I’m seeing all the stuff Floyd’s putting out, all the stuff in the media. If it is [just hype], it will follow him for the rest of his days that he did not do it…I said I would do it and I stepped up and I done it. His time now. I went into his game, he should come into mine.

Following Mayweather’s posts of a series of pictures from their fight on Instagram earlier in the week, McGregor posts a picture of himself getting ready for a session in the gym, on Instagram, with the caption:

Back at the gym floyds a rat [sic]

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bd3AVjqgsO3/

At a Q&A in Glasgow, McGregor says he was impressed with his own performance against Mayweather.

I improved my boxing skill to an extent. Everyone was saying to me get in and ragdoll him and muscle him from the bell. And I could’ve gone in and done that. But I out-skilled him, I outboxed him early. You can’t deny that. I outboxed him and he didn’t know what the f**k was going on. He just covered up his head and walked forward. When the f**k have you ever seen him do that?… It is what it is, but I still feel like I could beat him under boxing rules. We’ll see what happens though.

He also says a rematch would have a completely different outcome:

I know if I went another go with him, under boxing rules, I’d get that win. I know that. I know by the feeling of him in the first fight. He had to change his whole approach. He fought completely than he (usually) fought, he couldn’t figure out what I was doing early on. I feel with the lessons I learned from that first fight, if I had another go around, I’d get him.

After Mayweather stopped McGregor in the 10th round of their superfight, McGregor says he thought the fight could have gone on longer.

I thought it was close though and I thought it was a little early of a stoppage. I get like that when I’m tired. I get a little wobbly and flowy. But fuck, get me into the corner and I’ll recover and I’ll come back. And I’d like it to hit the floor. There’s a lot on the line here, [Byrd] should have let me keep going I thought, but fair play to [Mayweather].

However, Mayweather says he didn’t want to end McGregor’s career by knocking him out cold.

He has a career. He still has a career. He’s still young. [Knockouts are] very, very damaging. We have to think about these fighters. Even with my uncle Roger. Right now, I got a call, just before I came here, he keeps walking offer, wandering off – no one can find him. He ends up in a hospital. So, brain damage… it happens…In combat sports there are two names. There are two names. Mayweather and McGregor. There are two names. And even with me being off two years, I still was the biggest name. Even with me retired, I’m still the biggest name in boxing and MMA.

https://youtu.be/-SFrr7f_qrY

After Mayweather talks about McGregor’s comments on race:

It’s all about treating people like you want to be treated. To get respect, you must give respect. He totally disrespected black women, he called black people monkeys and then he spoke disrespectfully to my daughter’s mother and he spoke disrespectfully to my daughter. I’m not going to stoop that low and speak about his child.

McGregor counters:

He’s talking about disrespecting women and all, you know what I mean? I mean, hold the f**king phone here. Look, what’s his history? And I didn’t bring that up before the tour and I didn’t need to and I didn’t want to…There’s a gentlemen’s agreement on some things, you know what I mean? But hey, it’s a ruthless business. So, I’ve been ruthless too. You know what I mean? So it’s what we expect.

McGregor says that fatherhood has made him more ruthless.

Fatherhood is such an amazing thing, because it made me just realise what’s important. If anything, I feel the pressure is off my shoulders even more so. It’s been beautiful and an eye-opening experience. As a fighter [I’m] a little more ruthless maybe, a little bit more certain and a little bit more dangerous — if I am being honest — because there is another one I am fighting for.

The @TheNotoriousMMA tells @Eurosport recent fatherhood has him more focused and ruthless than ever | via @Eurosport_UK @EurosportAUS pic.twitter.com/uAVzwNRcSA

— Aaron S. Lee (@aaronshanelee) August 23, 2017