We all knew Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Conor McGregor were going to entertain fans with their trash talk leading up to their big fight on Aug. 26, but their war of words has taken a controversial turn.
McGregor came under fire during the four-city world tour in July for calling Mayweather “boy” on stage. Earlier this week, Mayweather expressed he was upset over McGregor’s “monkeys” remark he made on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” in July. McGregor addressed the racism accusations to MMAFighting.com’s Ariel Helwani and he vehemently denied the claims.
“First of all, never once in my life have I labeled him a monkey or any African-American or anyone a monkey,” McGregor said. “I would not disrespect any race like that.”
McGregor also attempted to explain what he meant by the “monkeys” remark, which irked Mayweather and led the boxing champion to dedicate the fight “for all the blacks in the world.”
“That Jimmy Kimmel interview, (Guillermo Rodriguez) asked me (if I) would beat Rocky. I said ‘What Rocky?’ And he said ‘Rocky III.’ And I said ‘Is that the one with the gym and the circus and the monkeys?’ Because (Rocky) had a specialized gym built where the gym was like a circus. There were clowns and all this type of stuff. That’s what I meant by that. And then (Mayweather) tried to manipulate it.”
McGregor wasn’t done. He went on to explain that he feels Mayweather is running a smear campaign to try to slander the UFC lightweight champion. He then went on to attack Mayweather’s past history of domestic violence.
“If I was to label him after any animal, it would be the rat. I wouldn’t even label him after the great ape. He is a (expletive) rat and a weasel because that’s what a rat and a weasel do — they try to manipulate words and create something that’s not there. Ask (Leonard) Ellerbe. Ask Floyd (Mayweather) Sr. They know. It’s a weak move on (Mayweather’s) part to even try to instigate something so sensitive. But that’s the individual he is — he’s a man who beats his wife in front of his kids.”
Buckle up, folks. The next two weeks are going to be entertaining.
Thumbnail photo via Joe Camporeale/USA TODAY Sports Images
