Floyd MayweatherJr. and Conor McGregor faced off on stage for the first time at Staples Centre to promote their upcoming fight and the eyes of the world were watching. Here are the main talking points from the event:
McGregor king shots at Mayweather’s reported tax troubles
McGregor mocked the fact that Mayweather turned up in tracksuit and said that the Rolls Royce he arrived in was five years old, both comments were shots at the undefeated boxer’s recent tax issues.
McGregor promises a knockout within four rounds
McGregor took shots at Mayweather’s physique and fighting style and also made sure to point out that the fact this is a boxing match and not a fight is doing the American a huge favour: “There’s no other way about it. His little legs, his little core, his little head. I’m going to knock him out inside of four rounds, mark my words. The movement, the power, the ferociousness, he’s not experienced this. He’s fought people who have shied away from him. I don’t fear this limited set of fighting. This is a limited set of rules that makes this half a fight, a quarter of a fight. If this was a true fight, it wouldn’t even take one round. What can I say? I’m a young confident happy man that has worked extremely hard for this.”
Mayweather promised to KO McGregor
In an expletive filled rant, Mayweather told the Irishman that he was getting knocked out. Floyd then took out a $100m dollar cheque from his bag to show the world before mocking McGregor for fighting in his last UFC bout for $3m, a sum Floyd called “training camp money” for him.
Floyd says he is the 'A-side'
Floyd claimed he was the star of the fight “We knew I was the A-side. That’s why it says Mayweather first. That’s why this ***** had to come to the boxing ring”
On your face or your back?
Floyd continued, once again promising a KO. He said to Conor: “You going out on your face or you going out on your back. Which way you want to go? Which way do you wanna go?”
The stare down
The duo came together for the traditional stare down. They continued to mouth off at one another before UFC boss Dana White stepped in to break them up.
Why was Conor's mic off?
One issue with the event was that McGregor’s microphone was turned off during Mayweather’s time at the podium. That was a huge shame because the world didn’t get to hear Conor’s responses to Floyd’s mocking of him.