By: Hans Themistode
Floyd Mayweather has always noticed Conor McGregor. The UFC star, after all, shared the ring with Mayweather in his last official contest in August of 2017. Well before Mayweather scored the tenth round knockout, the newly inducted hall of famer sat back and listened to McGregor talk shit to not only himself, but to most of his competitors.
This past Saturday night was no different as McGregor returned to the UFC’s octagon to take on Dustin Poirier, a man he knocked out cold seven years earlier.
While McGregor was mostly respectful, the multiple-time UFC belt holder boasted of his skills and was unconvinced that Poirier would make it out of the first round. Those words, while headline-worthy, failed to come to fruition as McGregor found himself on the wrong of a knockout loss. Following the defeat, Mayweather wasted no time in kicking McGregor while he was down.
“Just know that bum will never be me or be on my level,” said Mayweather on his Instagram account. “I’m just built different, my mindset is on another planet, my skills are second to none, I’m a natural-born winner, and yes, I talk a lot of trash, but every time I back it up! This is what they hate.”
For most of Mayweather’s career, the flamboyant star was lambasted for his antics both in and out of the ring. The nonstop shit-talking at press conferences, the cocky post-fight arguments with everyone who doubted him and of course, the perpetual flaunting of his fortune made Mayweather one of the most hated fighters in combat sports history.
While many hated him for his persona, Mayweather viewed McGregor’s actions as virtually identical. The overwhelming reaction from the public however, was much different. To Mayweather, it isn’t simply that people pick and choose whom they like. No, for the five-division world champion, he knows exactly why he was castigated while McGregor was praised.
“The world knows Con Artist McLoser can steal everything from me and be loved but I’m hated,” continued Mayweather. “That just lets you all know that racism still exists. It’s sad that you can be a poor black kid from the ghetto that has dealt with racism your whole life and work extremely hard to put yourself and your family in a better position, and most of the hate comes from my own people.”
