There was a strange vibe in the KA Theatre at the MGM Grand on Wednesday afternoon.
Having grown accustomed to that one last promotional push from fighters in the recent past, when final press conferences would so often descend into chaotic scenes so that fans might be persuaded to splash out on the pay-per-view, we expected some fireworks when Conor McGregor came face-to-face with Floyd Mayweather for the final time before Friday’s weigh-ins.
There was nothing of the sort.
With no members of the public allowed into the theatre, the atmosphere was markedly subdued.
McGregor’s one-liners were met with stifled titters from the reporters in attendance while there was no drama between the respective camps.
"I will press forward and break this old man." #ConorMcGregor @TheNotoriousMMA #MayweatherMcGregor pic.twitter.com/92ekEpYB0X
— UFC (@ufc) August 23, 2017
Everyone just sat in silence and watched the two men involved in the biggest fight of 2017 give their final addresses before affording them polite applause.
Everyone, that is, except for one member of Mayweather’s entourage.
From the outset, McGregor was interrupted by one roaring voice from Mayweather’s densely populated crew, which was sat at one corner of the auditorium.
"I'm taking this fight very seriously." #FloydMayweather #MayweatherMcGregor pic.twitter.com/tybD6mSr0K
— UFC (@ufc) August 23, 2017
And despite Mayweather’s best efforts to urge the gentleman in question to show some respect, that voice continued to pipe up several times throughout the press conference.
“Good bitch!” McGregor laughed as his upcoming opponent was forced to reprimand a member of his own posse.
Even as the fighters squared off to close out the event, the heckler chimed in before ‘Money’ told him to shut up in no uncertain terms.
“Listen, if you’re going to be here then conduct yourself in an orderly fashion. I told you this,” Mayweather said from the stage.
YESSSSSSSSSSS!!!!
90-second faceoffs!! #MayweatherMcGregor #ConorMcGregor #FloydMayweather pic.twitter.com/HxEzd6VhZt
— UFC (@ufc) August 23, 2017
That call for respect resulted in an unexpected show of mutual reverence between McGregor and Mayweather as the latter gently patted the Irishman on the back as if to say “I apologise.”
The heckler tried to bring drama to the final press conference but, unfortunately for him, he was the only one in the room who wanted it.
