Floyd Mayweather Jr sparked some controversy on Monday when he claimed Conor McGregor’s popularity was proof racism still exists.
The boxer said: “They say [McGregor] 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.”
The Notorious bided his time, but on Friday night he delivered a resounding response.
McGregor took to Facebook and, as part of an epic, six-part homily, he decried Mayweather for ever bringing up the topic of race and including his name in the conversation. McGregor wrote:
‘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.
‘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 organise a fight no problem. I will give you a fair 80/20 split purse in my favour 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.’
Naturally, the UFC champion’s post drew the inevitable ‘Who would win?’ reaction on social media. Irish boxer Andy Lee had one of the best insights:
