Boxing legend Floyd Mayweather Jr appears to be getting increasingly uncomfortable with the level of attention that UFC superstar Conor McGregor is getting, and that led to a lengthy rant during a street interview with TMZ yesterday.
Despite having previously been on the record stating that he wanted to put together a fight with McGregor, Mayweather denied having watched the McGregor Vs Alvarez fight on Saturday night.
“I didn’t even know that he fought,” Mayweather stated, unconvincingly, despite the fact the was in NYC, where Saturday night’s UFC 205 event broke Madison Square Garden’s gate record and was confirmed as the hottest ticket of the year in the city.
‘Money’ then took exception to the fact that the TMZ reporter described McGregor as MMA’s version of himself.
“I didn’t know Conor McGregor was undefeated. I didn’t know that he had a reign in MMA for 20 years undefeated and was world champion in five different weight classes. That’s something I didn’t know.
“So I guess you guys are telling me something new, because you say he’s the Floyd Mayweather of the MMA.
“If you’re saying he’s the Floyd Mayweather of the MMA, I’m trying to find out: have you ever made $300 million in one night? Have you ever made $100 million in one night? Have you ever made $70 million in one night?
“I’m a legend, a living legend. To the sport of boxing, I gave years and years of hard work. It was blood, sweat, and tears. I had a tremendous team, I had a tremendous run.
“I think that it’s time for Conor McGregor to go out there and do what he do, but never compare Conor McGregor to me. That’s a total disrespect.
“Once again, I’m an elephant. An elephant don’t beef with ants. An elephant is so large, he don’t even see ants.”
The same TMZ reporter caught up with McGregor later in the day to find out what he made of his boxing rivals comments.
“Do you believe him?” McGregor replied when asked if he was buying Mayweather’s claims that he hadn’t seen the fight.
When Mayweather’s line about him being an elephant and McGregor being an ant, ‘The Notorious’ was short and to the point with his reply – “Tell him to say it to my face!”
