Audio After The Jump
During an interview with Fighthype, Floyd Mayweather Jr., talked about the double standard he believes that exists in combat sports when it comes to race.
He cited the example of the media calling out Bernard Hopkins when he fought as a 160 pound middleweight and challenged smaller boxers like Oscar De La Hoya, Shane Mosley and Felix Trinidad to fight him.
Mayweather feels like Gennady "GGG" Golovkin, who is the IBF and WBA middleweight champion, is currently doing the same thing, but not receiving the same criticism because of the racism that still exists in boxing.
He also brought up the fact that Andre Ward is ranked No. 4 by Ring Magazine even though he's undefeated.
The retired champion later brought up the rapid ascension of UFC fighters Ronda Rousey and Conor McGregor.
"Ronda Rousey, you know, I think she fought somewhere like 11 or 12 fights, which is not a bad thing. Laila Ali went undefeated and was dominating too. After Ronda Rousey fought I think 9, 10, 11 fights, it didn't even take that long, she got all types of endorsements, movies and everything," Mayweather said. "Laila Ali did the same thing in better fashion. Ronda Rousey, she's a good looking woman when she put it on. Laila Ali is a drop-dead gorgeous woman; I mean a naturally beautiful woman and can kick ass, but you never heard them [the media] saying when she had I think somewhere around 10, 11, 12 fights that she was the baddest woman to ever fight on the planet. And what's so crazy, I don't really know the McGregor guy; never seen him fight. I heard his name actually from one of the runners that works for our company; a little kid named Ken Hopkins, he's a runner and takes care of a lot of the daily business. Whatever we need, he takes care of. He's a cool little kid, I like him, and he does MMA. He told me about the guy McGregor. They say he talk a lot of trash and people praise him for it, but when I did it, they say I'm cocky and arrogant. So biased! Like I said before, all I'm saying is this, I ain't racist at all, but I'm telling you racism still exists."
McGregor responded with a lengthy post on his Facebook page.
"Floyd Mayweather, don't ever bring race into my success again. I am an Irishman. My people have been oppressed our entire existence. And still very much are. I understand the feeling of prejudice. It is a feeling that is deep in my blood," McGregor wrote. "In my family's long history of warfare there was a time where just having the name 'McGregor' was punishable by death. Do not ever put me in a bracket like this again. If you want we can organize a fight no problem. I will give you a fair 80/20 split purse in my favor seen as your last fight bombed at every area of revenue. At 27 years of age I now hold the key to this game. The game answers to me now."
What do you think about Mayweather's comments on racism in combat sports and McGregor's angry reply?
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