McGregor team ask Malignaggi to spar
Malignaggi says McGregor’s team have asked him to spar with Conor in his prep to fight Mayweather.
I did get called to go to camp with McGregor… so I started working out a little bit. I’m working on the details. If it’s something that’s gonna be feasible, it’ll be cool, ’cause I think I’ll have some inside stuff to talk about on fight night. It’s interesting that they called me… I’ve announced my retirement [and] I did call him out [when he got his boxing license]. I think that shows the competitive spirit and the willingness to learn. It shows you how hungry he is, he put that pride aside. It makes me respect him a little bit more.
UFC asks $10m for top fight sponsorship
WME-IMG, owners of the UFC, set a $10 million asking price for the title sponsor of the McGregor-Mayweather fight. The $10 million would nearly double boxing’s largest single-fight sponsorship, the $5.6 million that Tecate paid for Mayweather-Pacquiao in May 2015. The sponsoring company would get its logo at the center of the ring at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena, its branding on ring girls, on two of the ropes and in the two nonfighter corners of the ring. The deal also includes sponsorship of the first minute of every round on the broadcast and $500,000 in tickets. For $5 million sponsors can buy one of the fighters’ corners that would include signage in that corner, sponsorship to the broadcast corner cam and $250,000 in tickets.
Kavanagh: ‘Crazy’ not to have Taylor, Conlan on undercard
Kavanagh says he would like to see both Taylor and Conlan on the undercard of McGregor-Mayweather.
I’ve seen a lot of speculation and I think it would be crazy of the promoters not to put on the likes of Katie Taylor and Michael Conlan…That just seems like a no brainer to me. Why wouldn’t you have a big America vs Ireland? It would generate such interest.
Cormier: McGregor ‘the greatest promoter of all time’
Cormier talks about McGregor’s gift for promotion.
That’s why I say he’s the greatest promoter of all-time…This guy, he managed to get Floyd Mayweather to fight him. There are boxers in the world right now that are much more deserving of that mega-fight, in terms of credentials, but they could never get Floyd’s attention to make Floyd listen. Conor did that…Floyd’s always been the guy to have to carry the promotion every time he fought. And this time, I know he won’t because he knows that if he does his part, (and) Conor does his part, but if he wanted to, he could take a backseat. He doesn’t have to do it. He could sit back and let Conor do it, and they would still do massive numbers.
Guerrero: It doesn’t matter if McGregor’s a southpaw, Mayweather’s too quick
Guerrero, a southpaw who was beaten by Mayweather in May 2013, says Mayweather’s speed and quickness is not apparent on video.
Being a fight fan myself and watching MMA fights, I don’t think there is anybody nearly as fast as Floyd Mayweather in that sport. That’s a problem with everybody who gets in with Floyd Mayweather, dealing with his speed. From the outside looking in, it doesn’t look as fast as it is when he’s right in front of you. And Floyd’s reaction time, wow, it’s just beyond anything you might imagine. Look at myself being a lefty, Manny Pacquiao being probably the fastest lefty out there, we had great trouble dealing with Floyd’s speed. Most of his shots are reaction. He sees what you’re doing and he knows what you’re trying to do and when you take that step, his reactions are so quick that – Bam! – he catches you. That is so hard to deal with.
Guerrero also says Mayweather is able to tire opponents out because he makes them swing and miss more than most boxers.
Definitely, it’s less energy to land a punch than to miss a shot. When you slip a shot, that’s so important, because A) you’re not being hit, but B) it’s more tiring than it is to land something. I tell the young kids I work with, shadow boxing eight, nine or 10 rounds is tougher than hitting the bag. … Missing just takes so much out of you, and then a guy like Floyd, not only does he make you miss a lot of shots, but he’s countering you every time you miss a shot, picking and poking at you. It drains you and it starts to frustrate you.
Hopkins: Let fans watch McGregor-Mayweather for free
During promotion for September’s middleweight fight between Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez and Gennady Golovkin, Hopkins proposes that fans get into the McGregor-Mayweather fight for free.
If you want to talk about a spectacle, a show, by all means spend $4,000-$5,000 on a ticket. Maybe they will give it to you for free and make a real statement of jealousy….Hold up, I’ve got a proposal. If this is so great and so good, and we know McGregor – I’m not his accountant but I’m pretty sure he don’t have to go out and put a sign in his hand and ask somebody to give him some money for food. And Mayweather, whose name is Money. How can your name be Money when you don’t have any? Give it to the fans free! You’re lights ain’t going to go off tomorrow. God knows they’re not going to take your car away – you’ve got 20 of them, right? So if you really want to box for the love of boxing, then I’ll tell you what to do. You want to make a big statement Dana White? Give it to them free.
However, when discussing Alvarez-Golovkin:
A fight and a boxing match of this magnitude in September, we know you have to pay for. You pay for what you get. Watch a real fight!
Kavanagh: McGregor three weeks away from being able to beat Mayweather
On The MMA Hour, Coach Kavanagh says McGregor’s training is proceeding well.
We have two more weeks in Ireland, then the guys will head to Las Vegas. We’ll then have six week in Vegas before the fight, but I watched the session today and said we would be ready in three weeks…We’ve always done best when everybody is just mocking the idea of an unknown Dublin guy saying he’s going to take on the whole UFC roster and win the belt. Those challenges seem to bind us even closer than we already are. I’m really seeing that spirit lit up in the team. It’s always there, but for whatever reason, because we’re being laughed at, because we’re being mocked, it’s making us even stronger.
McGregor mural reaction video
The Mac Life releases a video of McGregor’s reaction to the mural of him punching Mayweather in the face. Kavanagh, who commissioned the mural, leads him into the SBG gym to see it.
That is unbelievable. F-ck Floyd Mayweather! Imma see you soon!
McGregor-Mayweather promo tour dates announced
Schwab announces the tour dates and cities for McGregor-Mayweather Heavy Lies The Crown promotional tour. The fighters will appear in Phoenix 7/20, Salt Lake city 7/21, Toronto, Canada 7/27, Milwaukee 7/28, Chicago 7/29, and Detroit 7/30.
Summer tour #MayweatherMcGregor LIVE!
-Phoenix 7/20
-Salt Lake city 7/21
-Toronto, Canada 7/27
-Milwaukee 7/28
-Chicago 7/29
-Detroit 7/30 pic.twitter.com/kWYjHQG4rJ— Brendan Schaub (@BrendanSchaub) June 26, 2017
Fury: McGregor to KO Mayweather in Round 1
Fury says that McGregor will land an early KO on Mayweather similar to McGregor’s 13-second takedown of Jose Aldo.
I think Conor McGregor will knock him out in the first 35 seconds, like he done to Jose Aldo…I think McGregor will do him in one round. Come on McGregor! It would be good for boxing if McGregor chinned him. It’s be great for the real people of the world.
Atlas: ‘C’-class boxer McGregor is a ‘caveman’ against Mayweather
Atlas, the boxing trainer and commentator, says McGregor’s MMA skills don’t necessarily translate into boxing skills.
It doesn’t figure to be competitive. You’ve got a guy that they’re gonna say he’s got a puncher’s chance, but he’s in there with a defensive genius. And they’re taking advantage of your imaginations. ‘Oh, he’s got a puncher’s chance.’ Guys like Maidana, Pacquiao, Canelo — they were better punches than McGregor and better fighters. They couldn’t hit him. They couldn’t hurt him. So, really a puncher’s chance? Those are words, those are words to sell the fight. But in reality, not really a puncher’s chance…At the end of the day, myself, most boxing people that have been around the business think it’s a caveman in there with a defensive genius. And usually cavemen don’t win those matches, because in this case they’re not allowed to bring a club. Even if he brought a club, you know what? There would be a lot of strikes. I don’t think that he’d be catching Floyd too easily with that…You got a guy, that yeah he’s a good striker. He might be one of the better strikers in the MMA world, I don’t know. I don’t rate him that way. But in the boxing world, he’s a ‘C’ class fighter.
Duran: McGregor is a ‘clown’ with no chance of beating Mayweather
Duran, a four-weight world boxing champion, gives his opinion on the McGregor-Mayweather fight.
Mayweather beats the guy, it will be a spectacle. A wrestler of that size won’t do anything to Mayweather. If McGregor is serious he will break both arms and legs of Mayweather. Mayweather will beat him. McGregor is a clown…The fight will not hurt boxing, but it will hurt mixed martial arts because you’re talking about a good world champion, and if that guy loses against Mayweather it should be for something.
The Money Fight promo
Axiom Films releases a promo for the McGregor-Mayweather fight.
It’s 100% that Conor will f-ck him up.
Mayweather: Woodley is the best UFC fighter
Woodley shares a video while partying with Mayweather. Mayweather:
This is the best UFC fighter right here.
#BestUFCFighter @ufc @floydmayweather / @danbilzerian & @linoeding there for Back up in case @thenotoriousmma has something to say. pic.twitter.com/Mo9SMhWZO8
— Tyron T-Wood Woodley (@TWooodley) June 25, 2017
Mayweather camp: McGregor-Van Heerden sparring footage ‘staged’
Jones, who is part of Mayweather’s training camp, says sparring footage that shows McGregor struggling in the ring with mid-tier boxer Van Heerden could be part of an elaborate ploy.
I think I’ve seen that sparring. First of all, like I said, I looked at it, but to me it looked (like) it’s a possibility it could be staged. We don’t fall for that, we prepare for anything. Please believe me, I looked at it and I came up with my opinion that it could have been for real but it could have been staged. I don’t know. His style is a different style from Floyd. I don’t want nobody messing with Floyd. He may be more difficult than Floyd’s gonna be for him. Styles make fights. He may give him a different look inside this ring when he’s sparring him than what Floyd’s gonna give him. We don’t take none of that light…I looked it and after a while I watched the whole entirety of it, but I know that it could be staged and that don’t mean anything. We’re not gonna take that lightly. That don’t mean nothing to us. I looked at it, but it don’t mean anything. We’re gonna train like never before. I don’t think Floyd looked at it cause he don’t do that. We’re not worried about that, we don’t worry about that. When you look bad, it don’t matter to us because they could be staged.
Pacquiao sparring partner joins McGregor team
Johnson, ex-UFC fighter and former Manny Pacquiao sparring partner, announces he has joined the McGregor camp.
GOD is so good to me!!! ITS OFFICIAL!!! IM TEAM MCGREGOR!!! Headed to Ireland to help out the legend himself Conor mcgregor for his upcoming bout against Floyd mayweather which is stated to be the biggest fight in combat sports history! I was fortunate enough to be apart of the biggest boxing fight in history when I helped manny pacquiao prepare against Floyd mayweather, now I’ll be apart of this mega fight which should surpass all records…ESCONDIDO stand up!!! I will give every ounce in me to make sure mcgregor is at his best so we can really make history!!!
Mayweather trainer worried McGregor will ‘do something stupid’
Jones, who is Mayweather’s assistant trainer, says he has concerns about McGregor in the ring.
One way I can see the fight ending is Floyd outboxing him, beating the crap out of him. Another way I’m going to be concerned about is when Floyd gets to a point where he frustrates him too much, McGregor’s going to do something crazy. That’s the only thing I’m worried about. I would be more concerned about this fight because Floyd’s a little older now. He’s 40 years old. McGregor has crazy weird power, and he’s got weird shots from weird angles. I’m worried about that. But for my prediction in the fight, is Floyd either confusing him and frustrating him and stopping him in the later rounds, or Floyd outboxing him, or [McGregor] doing something stupid and losing the fight. That’s my prediction.
White: People are crazy if they think Mayweather can’t be caught
White posts two videos to counter those who think that Mayweather is untouchable.
People are crazy if they think @FloydMayweather can't be caught pic.twitter.com/M2V5sWrbUq
— danawhite (@danawhite) June 24, 2017
. @FloydMayweather can be caught pic.twitter.com/hvufpehEcr
— danawhite (@danawhite) June 24, 2017
White to fans: Don’t buy tickets, they’re not on sale yet
White issues a warning to fans who may be fooled into thinking tickets are already on sale.
A fan told me he bought tix already. I want ALL fans to know that we have not even come up with a price for tix yet and tix ARE NOT for sale yet. Don’t get f-cked by These DIRTBALLS trying to sell tix already. When we announce tix on sale that’s when it’s real.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BVrbZs4AyPa/
Golovkin: I respect McGregor as a UFC fighter, but he’s not a boxer
As part of their media tour his fight against Canelo Alvarez, which will take place three weeks before the McGregor-Mayweather bout, Golovkin talks about McGregor’s chances.
This is not a fight. My fight with Canelo is a fight. This is show. Conor with Floyd is show — business show or a funny show, or for somebody’s interest show, not for us. It’s not for boxing. This is not for boxing. This is for people, for business. My fight with Canelo, this is boxing. This is true fight. You know, I respect McGregor [as] a UFC fighter, [but] he’s not a boxer. He’s a good fighter, he’s not a boxer.
https://soundcloud.com/siriusxmrush/this-is-not-a-fight-this-is-a-show-gennady-golovkin-on-mayweather-mcgregor