Undefeated boxer Floyd Mayweather and Mixed Martial Arts champion Conor McGregor traded barbs during a lively press conference in Los Angeles on Tuesday, delighting a rowdy crowd ahead of their 26 August fight in Las Vegas.
The media conference was the first in a four-day international tour promoting the bout. Four days. Four cities. Three countries: the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. Fans will be able to attend the press events for free, and for English fight fans, there are still tickets available to watch the two men calling one another out at Wembley. Below are the dates of the other press conferences:
Los Angeles, USA— Staples Centre, Tuesday July 11
Toronto, Canada — Budweiser Stage, Wednesday July 12
New York City, USA — Barclays Centre, Thursday July 13
London, UK — SSE Wembley Arena, Friday July 14
The contrasts between the two was immediately apparent as McGregor, wearing a navy pinstriped suit and tie, danced around the stage smiling while Mayweather, wearing a track suit with American flag details, looked on stonefaced.
As is expected in the bout, McGregor was the aggressor, wasting no time bringing up reports that Mayweather earlier this month asked the IRS for more time to pay his 2015 tax bill. Mayweather was more subdued than the fiery 28-year-old, reminding reporters that even though he is a heavy favourite, he is 40-years-old and that anything can happen in a fight.
Floyd Mayweather’s boxing match against Conor McGregor on August 26 is expected to become the most lucrative fight in the history of the sport. And so it seems only appropriate that the press-tour for the fight will be similarly bombastic.
Watch the video of the first full press conference.