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Conor McGregor has this morning obtained a licence to box in the state of California.

The move follows an exceptional amount of trash-talk in boxing magnate Floyd Mayweather’s direction, with rumours swirling around a match between the two, should contracts and circumstances ever allow.

The once-retentive UFC has loosened up its policies on co-promotion as of late, working with wrestling promotion WWE on crossover talent appearances, which sets a precedent for an event such as McGregor is pitching for.

California State Athletic Commission exec Andy Foster sez:

“I’d love to see him fight in California. It just needs to be the right opponent. Certainly a high-level opponent. We’re happy to license him. We’re happy he’s a California fighter.”

Mayweather’s management remains schtum on any potential superfight. Says Mayweather Promotions boss Leonard Ellerbe:

“It’s all a game, all a calculated effort to gain more fans. Conor McGregor can say anything he wants to, but he has a boss and his name is [UFC president] Dana White.”

H/T MMAFighting

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45 thoughts on “The Conor Pass

          1. AlisonT

            This is pretty much just a negotiating tactic to get more money form his employers. He is their main product and only has to fight their other employees.
            He tried boxing before and wasn’t much good, also, he would have to fight someone who didn’t also work for his boss so the result might not go to plan.

          2. Owen

            Titles or not, form day one he said he was in it for money. They other two are at day one and have said they are in it for the titles.

            I’m not questioning the out come, but pointing out the varying motives, which ReproBertie linked as the same.

          3. ReproBertie

            Don’t kid yourself Owen. Professional boxers are in it for the money. “Get in, get rich, get out” is the mantra. McGregor is far from the first professional fighter to express that openly. Of course the best way to get the money is to get the titles.

          4. Janet, I ate my avatar

            and sure who can blame them ? do it while you still have enough short term memory capacity to enjoy yourself too ! best of luck to him

          5. Kdoc1

            “He tried boxing before and wasn’t much good …”
            Alison T, his boxing skills, particularly his left hand strike, is the biggest weapon in his armoury and has been instrumental in him winning titles (and lots of loot). His punching ability, along with his precision kicks and grappling, has made him an MMA star. If he just focussed on boxing for a while it’s possible he could become a world champion.

    1. parky mark

      He’s a fighter, that’s his job. He fights similar opponents in licensed conditions.
      Maybe direct some of your hate to the thug rugby players or GAA players who seriously assault people on and off the pitch.

        1. Janet, I ate my avatar

          you know nothing about boxing if you think no tactics strategy or thought process is involved… nothing

  1. Anomanomanom

    Once again ufc proves its just glorified WWE. I understand its real fighting, but lets be honest its only gained its huge interest from people who were not big fans since it started the Mickey Mouse stuff the WWE do.

    1. Mike McGrath-Bryan

      It’s a no-brainer, business wise, though – what if pro wrestling were real? Considering hundreds of millions a week still tune in worldwide for the former, it’s no harm to the latter to bite its presentation and business model.

  2. Jess

    I do wonder how many tattoo studios have had to deal with people asking for a replica of his chestpiece. Its like years ago when tons of guys used to get Beckham’s back tattoo right before heading off on holiday

      1. Junkface

        I think its King Kong or an Ape King of some sort. I would have just gone for the full Alan Partridge face chest tattoo meself

        1. ReproBertie

          The tattoo is an interpretation of “The Aliveness Ape” which is the logo of Straight Blast Gym where Conor trains. Straight Blast founder Matt Thornton tweets under @aliveness_ape.

    1. parky mark

      Bad article trying to be relevant by dropping a comparison to Donald Trump. Waste of time.
      As for the one calling them talentless thugs. Would you call Katie Taylor a talentless thug?

      1. Clampers Outside!

        True… the Trump comparison… *eyeroll*… fuppin’ lazy ass run o’ the mouth filler nonsense is what that headline says, I’d bet it it is too.

        I’ve no time for the sport myself, I did like the spectacle of it at first but even that wears thin… quickly.

    2. Chris

      Jonathan Liew is a young snowflake of a sports journalist, who enjoys inane hand wringing as well as attention. He is often the star of his pieces, not the sports he is supposed to report on and his football coverage is saccharine and mundane to say the least.

    3. ReproBertie

      What a load of elitist bull.
      “They like the feral, lawless sensation of witnessing a well-landed punch. They like its internet-age immediacy, the way an entire fight can be condensed into a 20-second video, unlike boxing, which you actually have to watch.”

      How many Mike Tyson fights or Prince Naseem Hamed fights could not be condensed into a 20-second video? How many boxing fights end with “the feral, lawless sensation of witnessing a well-landed punch”?

      Find me a sport that doesn’t have a “roster of colourful characters:​ wife-beaters, drug cheats, petty criminals and the simple unhinged”.

      This man speaks as though he has no experience or understanding. Much like a bemused foreigner aghast at “the mental Irish game with sticks” as the hurling final was described by a Sky viewer.

    4. Owen

      Yeah, they are reaching a bit. Granted, I didnt take the time to read them in full… barely a skim to be fair.

      I do think UFC (or the sport of MMA) are going to result in some rotten brain problems for those involved for years to come. There is no equal sport to it in terms of the physical abuse you can take. When we look at all the old boxers now, riddled with dementia, slurred speech, and even suicides, you have to wonder where these guys will be at the end of their short career.

      Just listen to Nat Diaz speak.

      1. ReproBertie

        Diaz is a stoner.

        In boxing you can take a pounding, an 8 second standing count and go straight back in. Rugby and American football have concussion protocols which can still allow players back on the field. Soccer is only figuring out what concussion is. In MMA the ref’s job is to stop the fight as soon as you stop defending yourself. Sometimes they are slow to do so but in general they get in quickly. Of course there’s still a danger but it’s not as high as in boxing, for example. Some fighters seem to use the Rocky defence of blocking punches with their head but usually the point is not to get hit.

        1. Owen

          Yeah, I agree. I was saying there is no sport the same when it comes to head injury. And I’m not talking about the actual fight event, I’m talking about the 100s of hours training.

          Rugby, for example, they don’t take them head shots in training. That would be a terrible way to train to even allow the odd one. In boxing and MMA you do take them shots. MMA in the main stream (and at this popularity) is young. I just wonder what will 15-20 yrs tell us.

          1. ReproBertie

            True enough. American football or soccer (when working headers) are high up on the head shot list but probably not as high.

            You are more likely to take the head shots in training for boxing than in MMA. I’m not saying you won’t take them when doing striking training in MMA but there’s a lot more to train than just striking. That said, the point is to avoid the strikes, even in training (that goes equally for boxing and MMA) and headgear is worn as extra protection when training.

          2. jusayinlike

            The commentators routinely call this a sport which it’s not, and always claim that these guys are the best fighters in the world, absolute rubbish the best fighters in the world would have nothing to do with this, the whole thing is a pathetic charade

          3. rotide

            Explain to us all why it’s not a sport.

            You may not use the phrase ‘i dont think it should be one’.

    1. bertie blenkinsop

      Sadly Mayweather does just enough to win his fights, I don’t think he’s that bothered about “destroying” anyone.
      If this farce were to happen in reckon it’ll be 3 fights, McGregor will win the first, Mayweather the second and the third fight will.be the real one.

      1. ReproBertie

        Mayweather is a defensive fighter and when you’re the champ that’s OK because it’s up to the challenger to take the title. I don’t think McGregor would beat him. Mayweather is incredibly hard to hit and even harder to score a clean hit on. The bigger gloves would also hamper McGregor’s striking while favouring Mayweather’s defence. If it happened I’d back Mayweather to do just enough to frustrate McGregor and win the judges’ decision.

        1. bertie blenkinsop

          I think in a proper boxing match Mayweather will win absolutely but the cynic in me says this is a 3 fight job.

          1. ReproBertie

            The only catch there is that Mayweather is 49-0. He’d like to hit 50-0 and he’d like to retire with that 0 intact so he can’t “lose” to set up a 3 fight series.

    2. Kieran NYC

      “Mayweather would destroy McGregor in a boxing ring.”

      Nah. McGregor would only be his opponent, not his girlfriend.

  3. :-Joe

    Here we go again…

    Literally 99% of the top Irish sports people admire McGregor for the great athlete and sportsperson he is nottomention his success and the entertainment he provides.

    Even the Irish rugby team have requested him to be their next motivational speaker before crucial test matches like the six nations etc. and Jamie Heaslip has asked the serious question of why he is not being talked about and considered openly as Ireland’s current greatest sports person.

    Mayweather is a brilliant, highly technical, defensive counter-striking boxer. McGregor is a mixed martial arts fighter who specialises in striking(boxing) and has great skill with range and the ability to strike and counter-strike with welterweight / light heavywight knockout power from his left.

    Anyone who knows anything about boxing, mma and combat sports including coaches of McGregors fallen challengers have acknowledged it is possible that he could land and win aginst Mayweather. McGregor would have to wear heavier gloves and restrict his style to boxing only where Mayweather obviously has a huge advantage but it’s not impossible or a ridiculous challenge. If it was an mma fight it would be over in less than half the time of one single boxing round.

    The man is a multiple record breaking and multiple title champion being hailed as a once in a lifetime fighter in the high regard of people like Ali and even Bruce Lee (probably due to his style and philosophy reminiscent of Jeet-Kun-Do and the origins of MMA )…

    You don’t have to like him but if you understand anything about this and you can’t repect the simple facts you’re just deluded. The establishment will have no choice but to eventually and begrudgingly give him the credit he deserves.

    The 1st true Super-Fight of the 21st Century, It would be amazing to watch and although Floyd is definitely the heavy favourite I think he has a good chance.

    LET’S GO CHAMP !!!!

    :-J

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