Floyd Mayweather Jr. realistic, Conor McGregor laughable at grand arrivals

(C) UFC president Dana White tries to keep Floyd and McGregor apart from each other at the press conference about Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor start their World  press Tour at Staples Center, July 11, 2017. In Los Angeles California. The two will fight August 26th in Las Vegas, NV  live on Showtime PPV at the T-Mobile Center.Photos by Gene Blevins/LA DailyNews/SCNG

Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Conor McGregor are separated by Dana White, president of the UFC, at a Los Angeles news conference in July/Photo by Gene Blevins

 

Once Saturday’s fight between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and UFC star Conor McGregor at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas is over, chances are Mayweather will have dominated like most think he will. It will probably be a very one-sided victory for Mayweather.

That doesn’t mean the combatants aren’t going to talk the talk all the way up to fight night, with an emphasis on saying things that will help drive up the pay-per-view numbers to record-breaking heights.

That was evident this week at the so-called “grand arrivals.”

“McGregor is a tough competitor,” Mayweather said. “He’s undefeated standing up. He’s never lost when striking. I know that I’m in for a tough fight. But there is one thing I do know, this fight is not going the distance. No matter what anyone says, it’s not going the distance.”

While Mayweather’s comments were reasonable, one of McGregor’s was laughable.

“Floyd can talk about whatever he wants to talk about,” he said. “He can talk any kind of trash he wants, because he’s talking to the new God of boxing.”

The fight will be available on Showtime pay-per-view for $89.99, $99.99 for high definition.

 

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Conor McGregor is simply in awe of his three-month-old son, Conor Jr.

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Conor McGregor works out on a heavy bag Friday at the UFC Performance Institute in Las Vegas/Photo by Gene Blevins

 

Conor McGregor has a lot going through his head these days as, in less than two weeks, the UFC star will take on all-time great boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. on Aug. 26 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas (on Showtime pay-per-view). His three-month-old son Conor Jr. is also at the forefront of his mind.

“We were comparing pictures, side by side, from when I was that age and we’re like identical,” McGregor said Friday after a Las Vegas workout at the UFC Performance Institute. “I’m like, ‘Yes,’ because he’s going to look exactly like me. He has my name; it’s a legacy. I’m just in awe of my little man.”

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Mikey Garcia, Adrien Broner make weight for Saturday’s bout in Brooklyn

Mikey Garcia holds up his lightweight championship belt after taking it from Dejan Zlaticanin via third-round knockout in January at MGM Grand in Las Vegas/Getty Images photo by Steve Marcus

 

Mikey Garcia and Adrien Broner on Friday successfully made weight for their junior welterweight bout Saturday at Barclays Center in Brooklyn (on Showtime).

Broner, who in April 2016 lost his junior welterweight title when he came in overweight for a defense against Ashley Theophane, weighed 138 3/4 pounds, easily making the 140-pound limit. Garcia weighed 139 1/2.

Broner, 28, of Cincinnati, is 33-2 with 24 knockouts. He has won world titles in four weight classes. Garcia, 29, of Moreno Valley via Oxnard, is 36-0 with 30 knockouts and has won titles in three weight classes.

This is a non-title fight.

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Mikey Garcia, Adrien Broner discuss their reasons for fighting one another

Mike Garcia poses with referee Tony Weeks after Garcia knocked out Dejan Zlaticanin in the third round in January to win the lightweight world title at MGM Grand in Las Vegas/Getty Images photo by Steve Marcus

 

Hate on Adrien Broner all you want, but the man has won titles in four weight classes, so his accomplishments speak for themselves. That’s why a fight between Broner and three-division world champion Mikey Garcia is a good thing.

That fight was announced this week for July 29 at a site to be determined (on Showtime). They will fight at the 140-pound junior welterweight limit. The interested parties on Thursday spoke on a conference call about what should be a terrific fight.

“I mean, I’ve done a lot,” said Broner, 27, of Cincinnati. “I’ve done a lot in the sport already at a young age. I’ve watched Mikey Garcia come up before and at the same time I came up. I’ve always wanted to fight the best. The best fight the best and that’s what’s going on today.

“This fight is going to be a tremendous fight and I’m bringing my ‘A’ game. I know a lot of people are probably counting me out.”

Garcia is not among them. He’s too smart for that. He took this fight because he knows Broner is dangerous. That, in turn, sparks plenty of interest.

“It is the biggest fight available for me right now,” said Garcia, 29, of Moreno Valley via Oxnard. “Originally, my plan was to unify at 135 (lightweight). If that was not available, I would look at a big  name to defend my title at lightweight. But that wasn’t quite available.

“Adrien Broner is a much bigger name and a much bigger star who has accomplished a lot in the sport. So it just made more sense to go and pursue the Adrien Broner fight than a regular title defense.”

Garcia, 29, is 36-0 with 30 knockouts. Broner is 33-2 with 24 knockouts.

 

 

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Errol Spence Jr. takes welterweight title from Kell Brook in his native England

Errol Spence Jr., right, lands a right hook on Kell Brook. Spence took Brook’s welterweight title via 11th-round knockout/Photo by Reuters via the Mirror

 

Errol Spence Jr. on Saturday took the welterweight title from Kell Brook via 11th-round knockout at Bramall Lane Football Ground in Brook’s native Sheffield, Yorkshire, England.

Spence, of Desoto, Texas, dropped Brook in the 10th round. Brook, with his left eye badly damaged, took a knee midway through the 11th and the fight was over.

Brook (36-2) was attempting to make the fourth successful defense of his belt. He was coming off a fifth-round TKO loss to middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin.

Spence (22-0, 19 KOs), a 2012 U.S. Olympian, was in his first world-title fight. He was up by one, three and five points at the time of the stoppage.

 

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Keith Thurman, Danny Garcia weigh in on Errol Spence Jr.-Kell Brook fight

Errol Spence Jr

Errol Spence Jr./Photo courtesy of Premier Boxing Champions

 

There is been a lot of talk about Errol Spence Jr. and how good he might become. The boxing world will find out Saturday if Spence is indeed the real deal when he challenges Kell Brook for his welterweight title at Bramall Lane Football Ground in Brook’s native England (on Showtime).

Current welterweight champion Keith “One Time” Thurman and former champion Danny Garcia this week were asked to handicap what figures to be an entertaining bout. They, too, are anxious to see what their fellow American can do in this one.

“This is an interesting fight,” Thurman said. “I have not followed Kell too much, but I have obviously seen Errol fight in the U.S. Errol is a tough, young fighter who is just getting into the public’s eye, and Kell obviously has the strength of the British crowd on his side.

“It should be a tough fight that really speaks to the strength of the welterweight division. Both fighters are men that I would be open to fighting as I continue to unify the division in 2018.”

Thurman in March won a split-decision over Garcia in a title-unification bout at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Garcia believes this fight is a tossup.

“I think this is a 50/50 fight,” he said. “I think the person with the better game plan is going to win. There’s a lot of pressure to go into someone’s backyard like Spence is doing, and he’s never faced a fighter in his prime before like Brook.

“It’s definitely a big test for him and a big step up in competition. If he is ready, he can do it.”

Spence, a southpaw out of Desoto, Texas, is 21-0 with 18 knockouts. Brook is 36-1 with 25 knockouts.

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Wait, former champion Adrien Broner is no longer going to talk trash?

Shawn Porter, left, knocks Adrien Broner off-balance during a welterweight fight on Saturday, June 20, 2015, in Las Vegas. Porter won by unanimous decision after a 12-round bout. (AP Photo/David Becker)

Adrien Broner, right, is knocked off-balance by Shawn Porter during their fight in June 2015 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Porter won a unanimous decision/Associated Press photo by David Becker

 

Adrien Broner has been a big-mouth during his career. But he swears those days are now behind him. No kidding. He said as much Thursday at the final news conference for his welterweight fight Saturday against Adrian Granados at Cintas Center in Cincinnati (on Showtime).

“I know everyone is used to me coming up here and being boastful,” said Broner, of Cincinnati. “That’s not me anymore. I have a lot of respect for Adrian Granados and he’s a great fighter.

“A businessman that can fight. That’s what I am nowadays. I’m not a (expletive)-talker anymore.”

That’s a heck of a turn-around, assuming Broner keeps to that credo. One thing’s for sure, he can fight. Broner (32-2, 24 KOs) has won titles in four weight classes, but Granados (18-4-2, 12 KOs) is confident he can hand Broner his third loss.

“People that think I’m an underdog, don’t know me,” said Granados, of Cicero, Ill. “They don’t know the tricks I have up my sleeve.”

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Adrien Broner, Adrian Granados make weight for their bout in Cincinnati

CINCINNATI, OHIO - OCTOBER 03: Adrien Broner leaves the ring after beating Khabib Allakhverdiev at U.S. Bank Arena on October 4, 2015 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)

Adrien Broner/Photo by Dylan Buell, Getty Images

 

Former four-division world champion Adrien Broner (32-2, 24 KOs) and Adrian Granados (18-4-2, 12 KOs) on Friday successfully made weight for their welterweight bout Saturday at Cintas Center in Broner’s native Cincinnati (on Showtime).

Both fighters weighed in at 146 1/2 pounds, a half-pound under the limit.

Granados hails from Cicero, Ill.

Also on the card, Lamont Peterson (34-3-1, 17 KOs) of Washington D.C. will challenge David Avanesyan (21-1-1, 11 KOs) of Russia for his welterweight title. Peterson tipped the scales at 146 1/2 pounds with Avanesyan coming in at 147.

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Claressa Shields to take on Szilvia Szabados in historical bout in Detroit

 

 

Claressa Shields/Photo by Harry How, Getty Images

 

Claressa Shields, who won gold medals in the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games, will make history March 10 when she becomes the first female prize-fighter to headline a card that will be televised on a premium channel.

Shields will take on Szilvia Szabados of Hungary in the middleweight main event from MGM Grand in Detroit (on Showtime). Shields (1-0) is stoked.

“It is a dream come true to be the first woman to headline a boxing card on premium television,” said Shields, of Flint, Mich. “March 10 will be a historic night for boxing and all of the women who give so much to advance our sport.”

Szabados (15-8, 6 KOs) was equally thrilled.

“Fighters always say their next fight is the most important one of their career, but you get an opportunity like this and it really is,” she said. “This is an unbelievable dream. I am very happy to be receiving this opportunity.

“I know this fight is important for Claressa also, and I don’t really know what will happen in the ring. We both want to win. Claressa has more amateur experience, but I have more experience as a professional.”

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Jorge Linares happy to hand Anthony Crolla another loss in his backyard

Jorge Linares

 

Jorge Linares of Venezuela has already beaten Anthony Crolla once at Manchester Arena in England, taking Crolla’s lightweight title via unanimous decision this past September. Since Crolla is from Manchester, it was an impressive victory.

Linares (41-3, 27 KOs) apparently is not the type to say, “Been there, done that,” so he will happily take on Crolla again at the same venue March 25 (on Showtime).

“I wasn’t supposed to win the first fight, but I’m glad I did so I can come back and do it again,” Linares said Tuesday at a news conference in Manchester.

Crolla (31-5-3, 13 KOs) certainly doesn’t want to lose twice in his backyard to the same opponent. Linares knows that, so he expects Crolla to come with everything he’s got.

“It’s a new year and a new day,” Linares said. “Anthony is going to be better and hungrier. And that means I will work harder, come with more skill and an even better game plan to win.”

Crolla, 30, can’t wait for the opportunity to get back the hardware he lost in September.

“I want the belt back, simple,” he said. “Fighting for these prizes in front of us is huge. It was a special night last time; great crowd and it’ll be even bigger this time. The setting was perfect, but I lost my belt.

“I lost to a great fighter, but I don’t celebrate losing. I don’t want to feel it again and I want to go down in history by beating a great fighter.”

 

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