Until the fight actually gets booked, we’re going to have a non-stop war of words. That’s a guarantee.
Conor McGregor and Floyd Myweather are sure to continue taking verbal jabs at each other through the media in an effort to promote this crossover mega-fight that has yet to be booked.
We are, of course, talking about the back-and-forth between the UFC and Team Mayweather or, to be more specific, the promotion’s mouthpiece Dana White taking almost personal offence to every rumour that’s spread about the fight and its negotiations.
It has already begun. The UFC president went off on one at the UFC 210 post-fight press conference. Jeff Mayweather’s claim that the UFC were looking for 80% of McGregor’s purse didn’t sit well with White.
“What I would like to clarify is all the bullshit about the 80 fucking 20 split. Jeff Mayweather? Come on, Jeff! Me and Jeff go way back. Jeff, are you the spokesman now for Team Mayweather?”
Furious #UFC210 https://t.co/IXXZ3dDTYJ
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) April 9, 2017
Jeff responded with a giggle to White’s aggression, speaking to Jody Kohn. He confirmed that both he and White were ‘very close’ after he helped the UFC president with boxing classes and boxing aerobics back in the day.
“All that says is this – he (Dana White) was mad that somebody got the inside information of what’s going on and I released it. It’s almost like I’m the bearer of bad news. So people are going to look at him different. At the end of the day, ‘it shouldn’t matter because I wouldn’t care if I was getting 10%. I’m his boss, I can dictate what I want.’ That’s all he’s doing.”
He shot down White’s suggestion that he was a spokesman for his nephew, but didn’t deny the 80-20 split rumour he apparently knows through ‘insider information’. Although he didn’t provide any evidence that confirmed these rumblings to be true.
“No, I’m not speaking for Floyd. The 80-20 split is not for Floyd. What Floyd’s getting is guaranteed. What Conor is getting… I’m talking about the split with the UFC and Conor McGregor. That’s the split I’m talking about. Not no 80-20 with Floyd and Conor. Whatever Floyd’s asking for, he’s going to get.”
Jeff also disagreed with the notion that McGregor was just as important to this fight being a huge PPV success as Floyd’s presence. He believes that the prize pugilist is way more valuable in the fight.
“Of course he is! First of all, they’re doing a boxing match. They’re not doing no MMA. With that being said, Floyd has proven himself over, over and over. Floyd didn’t get choked out, Floyd didn’t get tapped out, Floyd didn’t get knocked out.”
“Floyd already proved he made more money than that. He already made more money than that in one night. He made $300 million in one night… Whether it’s going forward or not, he’s still made that kind of money. Being that he’s made that kind of money, he can make those kind of demands. Even if Floyd came back to boxing, he can still make that same demand.”
Not sure about that one now. The bizarre crossover element mixed with the fact that McGregor is a legitimate global superstar is probably why Team Mayweather have dollar signs in their eyes for this one.
