When it comes to Conor McGregor acquiring a license to box in California, Floyd Mayweather is as skeptical as the rest of us. When asked by FightHype.com about the development this week and whether or not it might mean that a Mayweather/McGregor fight will actually happen, the 39-year-old undefeated boxer responded by saying, "Man, I don't fight in California. What did he get a license in California for?" Mayweather hasn't boxed outside of the state of Nevada since November 19, 2005, when he beat Sharmba Mitchell in Portland, Oregon.
Mayweather continued by saying that, while McGregor is "smart" for playing up a feud with him, he doesn't think he has any intention of ever getting into the ring with him."I'm [going to] tell you like this, he's blowing smoke up everybody's ass. He don't really want to fight because I went to his boss," Mayweather said. "He don't really want to fight. He's just doing that to keep his name alive, you know what I'm saying, to stay relevant. He don't really want to fight. He's doing that building his followers, but he's smart."
Coincidentally (or, perhaps, not) McGregor was also asked asked about a potential fight with Mayweather by a TMZ cameraman on Monday, and he responded by implying that he's just looking to box and/or fight whoever will help him pad his bank account further. "F*ck Floyd! What's Floyd going to do? We're looking for anyone," he said. "I'm the one with the numbers. We're looking for anyone." Then he got in his big expensive car and drove away.
Anyway, don't hold your breath for this fight. Despite what 50 Cent suggested recently, we still can't see it happening.


Conor McGregor is blowing smoke up everybody's Ass_Jon Jones vs Rockhold at SUG3

Conor McGregor Ran away from Featherweight Division

When Conor McGregor uncorked the ferocious four-punch combination that brought a concussive conclusion to Eddie Alvarez’s reign as lightweight champion at UFC 205, one man sitting among the baying hordes in Madison Square Garden looked on with a knowing delight.
Conor Wallace, who is one of Irish amateur boxing’s rising stars, had flown to New York in hopes of witnessing his compatriot become the first UFC fighter ever to concurrently hold titles in two different weight classes.
As McGregor secured his second-round TKO of Alvarez, he added the lightweight strap to the featherweight equivalent he had taken from Jose Aldo 11 months prior at UFC 194.
Of course, Wallace was much more than a vested spectator. On the recommendation of former Irish Olympic boxers Michael Conlan and Paddy Barnes, the native of Newry, Northern Ireland, was drafted by McGregor to mimic Nate Diaz ahead of their rematch at UFC 202.
A long, rangy southpaw, Wallace spent countless hours in the ring with McGregor as he sought to gain vengeance for the second-round submission loss inflicted on him by Diaz at UFC 196.
Indeed, McGregor, demonstrating a markedly more measured approach to his striking, earned a majority decision win over Diaz to set up his showdown with Alvarez.
Following his victory over the Philadelphian in November, McGregor didn’t have too much time to bask in his unprecedented two-title achievement.
Two weeks after he beat Alvarez, during a live broadcast of UFC Fight Night 101 in Australia, it was announced that McGregor had vacated his featherweight crown, and then-interim champion Jose Aldo would replace him as the undisputed kingpin at 145 pounds.
On Saturday night at UFC 206 in Toronto, Max Holloway took the interim featherweight title with a third-round TKO of Anthony Pettis in the main event, which was aired live on pay-per-view following prelims on FS1 and UFC Fight Pass.
This strange dynamic was made all the more surreal by a recent announcement that McGregor had been granted a boxing license by the California State Athletic Commission.
The fanciful notion of McGregor taking on retired five-division world champion Floyd Mayweather in some form of superfight has been mooted for months, and the Dubliner’s license to box in “The Golden State” only further fanned the flames of speculation.
The boxing community’s reaction to McGregor potentially stepping into the ring was largely one of derision, with the consensus being he would struggle with a journeyman, let alone Mayweather, who hung up his gloves with a 49-0 record.
It quickly became clear to Wallace during his time with McGregor in Las Vegas, that the “Notorious” has never lost his love for the first combat sport he put his hand to. This, he said, is as good a start as any.
“You could tell he watches professional boxing very closely and he was always showing you stuff on his phone,” Wallace told MMAjunkie. “I really can’t see why not, because it’s not just a thing that happened over night.
“With him having the amateur background from when he was younger, when he boxed in the Crumlin Boxing Club, which is a gym that has a lot of professionals in it, he must have just kept that hunger for it. Plus, he could make millions from it, and money talks. It would be really interesting and great to see. Whether it happens or not is another thing. Personally, I’d love to see it.”
Money certainly does talk. McGregor claimed at the UFC 205 post-fight press conference that the UFC’s new owners, WME-IMG, should now be offering him equity in the company, which is why this touted foray into the sweet science could be nothing more than a bargaining chip.
But what of the practicalities of McGregor actually transitioning to boxing? Even for a man who revels in risk-taking, it feels a stretch too far.
According to Wallace, the first step would require some good old fashioned practice.
“He’s not starting from scratch because of his amateur background and it would be just a case of doing it all the time and just doing rounds upon rounds of pure boxing,” Wallace said. “A lot of people have criticized him, but he’s just been doing boxing around twice a week, because he’s got to think about the jiu-jitsu and the wrestling.
“If he’s doing rounds five days a week, the only thing he can do is get better. A lot people have been very quick to run him down, but once he puts his mind to something he does it, and he does get the results. I would love to see him do it.”
McGregor has been lauded for his feats of pugilism in the octagon. His is a rare blend of searing speed, fluent movement and ferocious power, but all in the context of MMA.
Wallace claims that there are a number of issues that would require immediate addressing, the kind of refining that makes you a credible boxer, as opposed to a mixed martial artist whose primary weapons are his fists.
“A lot more volume and punches,” he said. “The feet are a massive thing, as well, to get in and out of range and to keep yourself balanced. With boxing, you’re throwing a lot more shots and sitting down on punches.
“You slow it down a bit more and it’s a little bit flat-footed because that five minutes (MMA rounds) is long, so it’s a different type of fitness. He’s tricky, hard to hit, and a good mover, but it would be about learning to slip more punches. Also, with the bigger glove, it gives you a bigger target.”
Boxing aficionados would also point out that, in MMA, the use of hands is predominantly predicated on force, and that there is a distinct lack of comprehensive combinations.
Wallace agrees, but claimed that this could be a question of physics, and not necessarily based on a skills deficiency.
“You wouldn’t see a whole lot (of combinations), but I suppose that’s down to the fact that you’re only wearing the 4-ounce gloves, and once you get hit with a good shot there’s not too many people still standing,” Wallace said. “But with boxing, whether you’re wearing the 10- or 12-ounce gloves, guys can take a lot more.
“Once you get hit with an MMA glove, it’s like getting hit with a bare knuckle, and guys seem to fold. That’s why going into boxing you’d have to be throwing more shots, whereas in MMA it only takes a couple.”
Ultimately, Wallace would not bet against McGregor getting into the ring at some stage, but it would force him to forgo all other disciplines.
“If he got a good camp behind him, concentrated solely on boxing five or six times a week, who knows where he could go to. With him it would only take a couple of fights because it would be a money stunt and then he could get out of there. He’s already proved a lot of people wrong in a lot of different things.”

Think UFC champ Conor McGregor would be doomed in boxing? Think again, one boxer says


CONOR McGregor is one head-kick away from megastardom, according to mixed martial arts legend Frank Shamrock.
The MMA pioneer and inaugural UFC middleweight champion says McGregor deserves the slice of equity he’s calling for.


              MMA legend: Former UFC, WEC and Strikeforce world champion                                                                             Frank Shamrock

“Oh, a hundred percent and I think he should exercise it until he gets it,” he told Submission Radio this week.
“That’s what I did. That’s how I’m chilling and hanging out and enjoying my life. I was able to break my contract and took equity in Strikeforce, launched that and sold it back to ‘em.
“So there’s many ways to get paid, but when you have as much power as him, this is when you do a power move like I did and walk away.
Shamrock was happy to walk away when he did, and with McGregor’s star continuing to rise, both inside and outside the MMA bubble, he says ‘The Notorious’ would benefit more by getting around the table with the UFC and forcing their hand.
“I would have a serious sit down with continuing on,” he explained.
“Because the way the promoter does it, is they try and stretch you – ‘well we just won’t let you fight because you’re under an exclusive contract,’ so you’ll get old and everybody will forget about you.

“But he has a type of stardom where he can walk right into television and film and keep that level of stardom growing to where then the UFC, much like the WWE when The Rock got so big, they’d have to act on their model and come back and say, ‘well let’s be partners then, let’s hang out, let’s figure out a way to get you back in here to make that money we were all making before’.
“It’s just money, it all comes down to money. But you gotta take a chance. I think this is his chance. If he wants to make Mayweather money, you gotta make a Mayweather move.”

One potential move that has made constant headlines since the story broke, is a potential boxing match with Mayweather himself, though Shamrock says there’s little chance of it ever coming to fruition.
“I don’t think Mayweather’s never going to accept it or allow it to happen, because that would be silly and too much money at stake,” he explained.
“It’s a no-win. Mayweather’s got half a billion dollars in cash. He’s not going to go wrestle around with Conor who’s, god bless him, does not have half a billion dollars in cash. It’s not the same league.


“It’s all posturing and promotion from the McGregor side – cause it’s smart, it’s what I would do and it’s what smart people would do to control the market place.
“But it’s not reality because Mayweather’s people will never let it happen because of the value of contents. They don’t equal the same, revenue streams aren’t the same.”

But despite thinking the fight won’t take place, Shamrock did offer a little advice to McGregor for the bout, suggesting he pull the ultimate deliberate foul that would send his name into the stratosphere.
“I think he’d (Mayweather) have only to lose, and if I were Conor, I’d just kick him in the head and pocket my 25 million!”

ADVICE FROM A LEGEND MMA legend Frank Shamrock on Conor McGregor: “If he wants Mayweather money, you gotta make a Mayweather move”


Jon Jones won’t be eligible to get back into the octagon until summer of 2017 and says when he’s ready to return he’ll be talking to the UFC’s new boss Ari Emmanual, not Dana White. The former UFC light heavyweight champ is currently serving a suspension for a failed drug test prior to his scheduled UFC 200 title fight with champion Daniel Cormier, but believes when the times comes, he’ll be ready to reclaim his throne.
Following his win over Dan Henderson this past Sunday night Jones explained to Champions.co hat he’s planning to take back what’s his very soon.
“I’ll continue to train into July and when the conversation comes with Ari who I’ll be fighting, I’ll talk with my coaches and we’ll all see where I’m at, and see if it’s best for me to go for what’s mine.”

Sorry Dana — Jon Jones Will Only Deal With White’s Boss, New UFC Owner Ari Emanuel


The 39-year-old retired from the sport with an unbeaten record, with his last fight v Andre Berto in 2015. He ended his career with 49 wins [26 KOs], no draws and no losses – and he says he makes ‘sound investments’ and does not need to come back.
Meanwhile two-weight champion McGregor has landed a boxing licence in an attempt to organise a fight with the American, known as the ‘Money Man’.
In the clip, above, when he was asked about a fight with the Irishman, Mayweather - founder of Mayweather Promotions - laughed: “You know what, I make sound investments so I don’t think I am coming back."
McGregor is currently on a break from the octagon, with his first child due in the coming months, and an appearance on TV series Game of Thrones lined up.


CONOR MC-WHO? McGregor vs Mayweather: Watch as Floyd LAUGHS about UFC star getting a boxing licence as their superfight draws closer


Recently promoted UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo says he is set to return to the Octagon at UFC 208, which takes place in Brooklyn, New York on February 11.
Aldo told the media in Brazil on Monday that he will fight Max Holloway in a UFC featherweight title unification bout as Holloway just won the UFC interim featherweight title by beating Anthony Pettis at UFC 206 over the weekend.

“He’s saying ‘where’s Aldo?’, you have to talk to the UFC,” Aldo told the media (transcribed by MMA Fighting). “About the fight in February, I already knew that, I only didn’t know who I would fight. It was between him and Pettis, whoever won the fight. It’s not something new. This fight will happen on Feb. 11.”
Jose Aldo holds a 26-2 professional MMA record and won a UFC interim featherweight title bout against Frankie Edgar at UFC 200 in July and was promoted to the undisputed champion when it was announced by the UFC that Conor McGregor “relinquished” the featherweight belt. As Aldo was promoted to the undisputed champion, the UFC 206 bout between Max Holloway and Anthony Pettis was promoted to an interim title bout.

Max Holloway holds a 17-3 professional MMA record and is on a hot 10-fight win streak with his biggest win of his career taking place over the weekend getting him the interim title.
Newly crowned UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor was the last man to beat both Aldo and Holloway. McGregor beat Aldo by KO at UFC 194 back in December of 2015 and took a unanimous decision win over Holloway at UFC Fight Night 26 back in 2013.

Jose Aldo says he is set to fight Max Holloway at UFC 208.