Floyd Mayweather continued to make waves this week even in retirement when he claimed racism is a factor is UFC fighter Conor McGregor’s rise to fame. This week the Irishman responded emphatically this week, telling the boxing legend, “Floyd Mayweather, don’t ever bring race into my success again. I am an Irishman. My people have been oppressed our entire existence. And still very much are.”
Mayweather earlier this week commented on racism in boxing, although his comments eventually touched on McGregor’s outspoken personality and raised the issue of a double standard. Mayweather suggested that McGregor didn’t receive as much criticism as Mayweather did for similar antics because McGregor is white.
McGregor fired back at Money May via Instagram Friday night, even offering to stage a fight between the two. Of course, McGregor required an 80/20 split of the purse in his favor as Mayweather’s last fight, “last fight bombed at every area of revenue.”
1. Rolling Stone, thank you for putting me as one of your top 25 sex symbols of 2015! My Mother will be delighted and proud! 2. ESPN, FOX, BT Sports, MMA Fighting, Yahoo, MMA Junkie and Sherdog thank you all for awarding me fighter of the year 2015! I appreciate all the hardworking media and their love and commitment to the sport is truly valued. 3. Fighters Only MMA Awards, thank you for the nominations for Fighter of the Year, KO of the Year, International Fighter of the year. I will be in Las Vegas to attend the event and collect all my awards. 4. Floyd Mayweather, don’t ever bring race into my success again. I am an Irishman. My people have been oppressed our entire existence. And still very much are. I understand the feeling of prejudice. It is a feeling that is deep in my blood. In my family’s long history of warfare there was a time where just having the name ‘McGregor’ was punishable by death. Do not ever put me in a bracket like this again. If you want we can organise a fight no problem. I will give you a fair 80/20 split purse in my favour seen as your last fight bombed at every area of revenue. At 27 years of age I now hold the key to this game. The game answers to me now. 5. Media instigators/An Garda Siochana. I apologise for having the air-soft in public. I was simply rehearsing for a potential upcoming film role. I understand that the more traffic a story can get the more revenue it generates. So I understand and respect that the media must create these stories and these situations even if at times it is at other people’s expense. We’ve all got to eat. And I eat well. So I will not complain. 6. My next fight. What can I say, it’s just another night of easy work for me. I don’t just own the game. I run it too.
A photo posted by Conor McGregor Official (@thenotoriousmma) on Jan 8, 2016 at 3:42pm PST
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The Irish sensation has welcomed the suggestion of a fight with Mayweather in the past, though who knows how seriously either side is pushing for such an awesome potential event.
As of Saturday, Mayweather has not responded to McGregor’s comments.
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*Featured Photo (above) credit to USA TODAY Sports
