Conor McGregor And Floyd Mayweather Exchange Insults In Wild First Press Conference
The hype is officially underway for the Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor super-fight on August 26 following a press event Tuesday afternoon from the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California.
A crowd of 11,000 watched Mayweather, who is considered the best boxer of a generation, and McGregor, UFC's top superstar, exchange insults and trash talk in preparation for their boxing fight. McGregor wore a customized suit with the words "F–k You" embroiled into the pinstripe. Mayweather sported a "TMT" sweatshirt.
"He's in a (expletive) track suit. He can't even afford a suit anymore," McGregor said of Mayweather h/t MMAJunkie. "He is (expletive). There's no other way about it ? his little legs, his little core, his little head. I'm going to knock him out inside four rounds, mark my word."
McGregor is seen as a heavy underdog in the August 26, 2017 super-fight, considering he's never boxed professionally. Mayweather is undefeated with a professional record of 49-0. Still, the Staples Center crowd was pro-McGregor as he hurled insults at his opponent.
"The movement, the power, the ferociousness ? he's not experienced this. He's fought people who shied away from him. I don't fear him. I don't fear this limited set of fighting," said McGregor h/t MMAJunkie. "This is a limited set of rules that makes this half a fight, a quarter of a fight. If this was a true fight, it wouldn't even take one round."
McGregor is the current UFC lightweight champion and boasts a mixed martial arts record of 21-3. He commented on his bout against Mayweather being a boxing match.
"Floyd has a problem, but doesn't want to come over and deal with it," Mayweather said h/t MMAJunkie. "That's no problem. I'll do that. That's confidence."
Mayweather stated he didn't care whether he fought McGregor in the ring or the Octagon and pointed to his lengthy career spanning two decades.
"Twenty-one is the number. And they say why is 21 a number? Because that's how long I've been kicking ass," said Mayweather h/t MMAJunkie. "I don't give a (expletive) if it's in the ring, I don't give a (expletive) if it's in the octagon, put me in there, and I'm going to kick (expletive)."
"Don't be talking (expletive)," McGregor shot back h/t MMAJunkie. "You do give a (expletive) if it's in the Octagon."
Mayweather boasted about earning more than McGregor, dismissing the UFC star as good for a seven or eight figure fighter. McGregor took home the highest-reported purse in MMA history – $3 million for his rematch against Nate Diaz at UFC 202 last year. Mayweather made a guaranteed $100 million for his fight against Manny Pacquiao in 2015.
"He look good for a seven-figure fighter. He looks good for eight-fighter figure," said Mayweather h/t MMAJunkie. "But mother(expletive) I'm a nine-figure fighter. And y'all know what? This (expletive) made three million dollars his last fight. We know that's training camp money for me."
Mayweather, 40, admitted he's not the fighter he once was but he believes he'll have no problem with 28-year-old McGregor.
"And guess what. I'm an old man. I'm not the same man I was 20 years, I'm not the same fighter I was 10 years ago, I'm not the same fighter I was 5 years ago. I'm not the same fighter I was two years ago," said Mayweather h/t MMAJunkie. "But I got enough to beat you. And we know Mr. tapout like to quit."
UFC President Dana White, Mayweather's manager, Leonard Ellerbe, Showtime Sports' Stephen Espinoza and MGM Resorts' Richard Sturm spoke in front of the crowd. Mayweather teased a physical altercation. He got face-to-face with McGregor with White getting in the middle of them.
The Mayweather vs. McGregor press tour continues today in Toronto, followed by a stop in New York on Thursday and London on Friday. The fight itself is Saturday, August 26, 2017 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. We will have live coverage here at WrestlingINC.com. You can watch today's event embedded in the video above.