Tag: Dana White

UFC president Dana White is hyping Tom Brady to the Raiders

“Come on man. If that dude isn’t playing for Boston he’s playing here.”

There’s one influential Las Vegas-native who has begun hyping the possibility of Tom Brady joining the Raiders (who were recently minted Las Vegas’ team).

UFC president Dana White went out of his way to talk about Brady’s free agency prospects this weekend in a post-fight press conference at UFC 246. Brady, after all, was spotted chatting with Raiders owner Mark Davis during the event. White seemed playfully frustrated that no one asked him about the moment.

“I thought you guys were going to ask me ‘Hey, Tom Brady was here. Davis was here. I saw them talking. What’s going on?’” White joked on Saturday night. “Are you guys (expletive) Las Vegans or what? Come on man. If that dude isn’t playing for Boston he’s playing here. I don’t know. I have no idea what I’m talking about. But year, he liked the fight.”

Even White admitted he doesn’t have the inside scoop. He and Brady were hanging out (as documented by ESPN), but it’s clear the New England Patriots quarterback is providing zero hints on where he might land, if he decides to enter free agency in March.

In the meantime, the Raiders have flexibility to commit or abandon quarterback Derek Carr. And while general manager Mike Mayock said Carr improved in his second season under coach Jon Gruden, Mayock was non-committal to his quarterback.

“As far as what the future holds, I’m gonna tell you the same thing I told you last year. About every position. And that is, my job is to evaluate every position and try and make us better,” Mayock told Vic Tafur of TheAthletic.com. “And if I can, I will, and if I can’t, I won’t. And that holds true at every position.”

So there is a chance, however small it may be.

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Floyd Mayweather hints (yet again) at Conor McGregor rematch

Floyd Mayweather couldn’t resist a good PR moment, posting on his Instagram page on Sunday a fight poster featuring him and Conor McGregor.

Here we go again.

Moments after UFC’s Conor McGregor snuffed out Donald Cerrone in 40 seconds of the first round in the main event of UFC 246 in Las Vegas, Floyd Mayweather was probably reclining on a divan somewhere in his McMansion, flexing his fingers, gearing up to press send on his phone.

If you are one of Mayweather’s 23 million Instagram followers, chances are you saw a pop up early Sunday morning of a mock fight poster featuring Mayweather on the left and McGregor on the right, with the words “Mayweather-McGregor 2 2020” running across the middle.

Either you began salivating in anticipation or you rolled your eyes so hard you nearly snapped a nerve ending.

Mayweather (50-0, 27 KOs) is retired (for now) but he has clearly not lost his touch when it comes to the art of public relations. On a night that saw McGregor, before a rabid near-sold out crowd at the T-Mobile Arena, return to his winning ways, Mayweather had to make sure he stole some of that thunder.

So how serious is Mayweather? Depends on who you talk to.

The latest PR blitz recalls Mayweather’s provocative Instagram last November, in which he appeared in fight garb with the caption, “Coming out of retirement in 2020.” Around the same time, he hinted that he and UFC boss Dana White would collaborate somehow in 2020, although nothing concrete has materialized.

White, however, did indicate to ESPN that serious negotiations for a potential match-up involving Mayweather were not far off. “Some things have to play out (first),” White said, “and then I’m going to start talking to (Mayweather’s promoter Al) Hayman (sic) maybe this summer and then I’ll have something for Floyd in the fall.”

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Coming out of retirement in 2020

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McGregor himself has done his part in stoking the flames for a rematch. During fight week, McGregor told ESPN that he “would like to rematch Floyd,” and that “I wasn’t sinking into my shots like I am now with my boxing coaches that are drilling specific boxing things into me again. I know I’d beat Floyd if we rematch … WHEN we rematch.”

 

Later in the night, Mayweather decided to have a bit more fun with photoshop by posting a similar mock fight poster involving him and UFC’s Khabib Nurgamedov, who mauled McGregor into submission in 2018.

According to ESPN, after the McGregor fight, White said “Floyd has been blowing him up all night,” but offered no further details.

Mayweather was recently named “Fighter of the Decade” by the Boxing Writers Association of America.

 

Conor McGregor still wants a second fight with Floyd Mayweather

Conor McGregor is angling for a second fight with Floyd Mayweather and believes he could win this time.

Conor McGregor still dreams of a second boxing match with Floyd Mayweather.

McGregor was stopped by Mayweather in the 10th round in a one-sided bout that generated 4.3 million pay per view buys and a fortune for both fighters in August 2017. The 31-year-old MMA star wants a second chance and believes he can win.

“I would like to rematch Floyd,” he said during an ESPN MMA video interview. “… I mean, he can pick someone else but it won’t be the same. I did phenomenal in [the first] bout. The only reason I lost that bout was I prepared for a backfooted … style of opponent. When the fight was like that, I picked him apart.

“Then he came forward and I started pressing. I wasn’t sinking into my shots like I am now with my boxing coaches that are drilling specific boxing things into me again. I know I’d beat Floyd if we rematch … WHEN we rematch.”

McGregor said he and Mayweather had an oral agreement to do an MMA-rules fight after their boxing match but he doesn’t expect that to happen.

“Obviously that’s not going to happen,” he said. “I might not push on that, but I would like to box him. I think that’d be a good rematch.”

McGregor was asked whether a rematch could take place this year?

“You never know,” he said. “They’re good people to do business with, the Showtime people and Floyd. You never know.”

Mayweather, who will be 43 next month, and UFC’s Dana White have suggested they have some sort of agreement for “Money” to return to the ring but haven’t been specific.

Another possibility for both Mayweather and McGregor is a fight with Manny Pacquiao, who lost a decision to Mayweather in another financial bonanza in 2015. A rematch also would do well. And fans almost certainly would buy into a Pacquiao-McGregor fight.

“There was an offer made [on a Pacquiao bout],” McGregor said. He was asked to elaborate on that but said, “not just yet.”

Dana White: Floyd Mayweather deal would be for him to fight

UFC’s Dana White made it clear that any deal he has with Floyd Mayweather would involve “Money” actually fighting.

When UFC president Dana White and Floyd Mayweather were spotted sitting next to each other at a Boston Celtics vs. Los Angeles Clippers game on Nov. 20, heads turned in the combat sports world.

Soon thereafter, White was asked about the conversation and subsequent social media posts that seemed to hint at an unknown something. In the media rounds for UFC on ESPN 7 in early December, White elected not to go in depth beyond saying the he talked business with Mayweather.

In a recent interview with ESPN, however, White delved a little deeper.

“We both started talking,” White said. “The easiest way to explain it to you is Floyd and I both feel that we add value to each other, and we’re going to figure something out.

“Some things have to play out, and then I’m going to start talking to (Mayweather’s promoter Al) Hayman maybe this summer and then I’ll have something for Floyd in the fall.”

What would this mean exactly? Mayweather and White collaborating as promoter-promoter? Fighter-promoter? Or something else? Apparently, the undefeated boxer is thinking about another fight.

“Compete,” White said. “The money is in Floyd competing.”

White isn’t fond of crossover fights. But when Mayweather-esque demand is there, White said he’s willing to overlook any hesitation.

“We’ll see,” White said. “We can do some crossover stuff here, or we can do something in boxing. Our last experience, Floyd was actually pretty easy to deal with. Haymon is incredible to deal with. Floyd and I got a handshake deal at the basketball game, and we’ll get the rest figured out.”

He continued, “I don’t love them (crossover fights). … (But) when the demand is there. I felt the demand for McGregor vs. Mayweather, felt it, I knew it would be big, so we started talking. Then once I started to really feel it, that’s when I started to take it serious, and I made an offer. … It will be interesting to see if we start to see that kind of demand again with any kind of crossover fight.”

 

Dana White on potential clash between Kamaru Usman and Jorge Masvidal: ‘It’s massive’

Dana White is excited about a potential fight between champ Kamaru Usman and Jorge Masvidal.

Dana White thinks a battle between the UFC welterweight champion and the “BMF” of the division could be a major event.

After watching [autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag] defend his UFC welterweight title against Colby Covington in the main event of UFC 245, UFC president White believes a bout between Usman and Jorge Masvidal is one worth making.

“It’s massive,” White said at the UFC 245 post-fight press conference. “So think about this, how many times have we sat in this room, we did the leadup to this big grudge match, these two guys hate each other going into the fight, and then I’m sitting here going, ‘And that fight sucked.’ How many grudge matches have actually been incredible fights, I say none. Maybe one I’m forgetting about, but they all pretty much suck.

“This grudge match was awesome, two guys in their prime who are at the top of the game and the fight was the “Fight of the Night” in an incredible card, yeah the Masvidal fight vs. Usman (fight), it’s a big deal. He fought (Nate) Diaz for the BMF belt and now to fight for the actual title against the guy who’s tough as nails, it’s fun.”

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Masvidal recently picked up the biggest win of his career, stopping Diaz at UFC 244 in November to win the first and only “BMF” title in a major event. The Miami native is a top contender in the division, and is coming off three straight stoppage wins.

For Usman, the bout with Covington marked his first welterweight title defense. Usman won the UFC belt in March, outpointing then-champion Tyron Woodley. He remains undefeated in the promotion.

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Dana White interested in immediate Max Holloway vs. Alexander Volkanovski rematch after UFC 245

UFC president Dana White is interested in seeing Max Holloway get an immediate rematch with Alexander Volkanovski following UFC 245.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] might not have to fight his way back to a title shot.

The Hawaiian fighter, who lost his UFC featherweight belt to [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] on Saturday night at UFC 245, could be granted a chance to get the belt back in his next outing. At the post-fight news conference, UFC president Dana White said he would be “100 percent” interested in seeing Holloway (21-5 MMA, 17-5 UFC) get an immediate rematch against new champ Volkanovski (21-1 MMA, 8-0 UFC).

“He looked good, and that market is massive for us, so maybe we do that rematch in Australia,” White said. “I don’t know – that’s just off the top of my head.”

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White didn’t have many words to share about Volkanovski’s five-round performance, but he’s certain the Australian made a big statement in the octagon.

“For Volkanovski to come in and beat Max Holloway, it’s a big deal – it’s a big deal to do that,” White said.

Volkanovski, 31, would welcome the idea of fighting Holloway a second time, especially if it’s in his home country.

“That would be great, to have a hometown crowd and defend the belt in front of them – that would be unreal,” Volkanovski said. “And I think the Aussie fans deserve that, so I would love to make that happen.”

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Now Jorge Masvidal calls out Floyd Mayweather

Jorge Masvidal would love to get in the ring with the retired Floyd Mayweather Jr., who recently declared he would fight again in 2020.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. continues to live free in the heads of MMA fighters.

The retired boxer recently declared on social media that he would return to the ring in 2020 in some kind of collaboration with UFC boss Dana White. That has no doubt perked up the ears of some of the UFC’s biggest stars, including Jorge Masvidal, who obviously smells a boatload of moolah.

“Me versus Mayweather. I want cash money,” Masvidal told TMZ Sports. “I got children, and those children got needs.”

Masvidal, who won a technical decision over Nate Diaz in November, recently called out Canelo Alvarez in an attempt to lure the Mexican superstar into a crossover bout. But with Mayweather seemingly an active fighter again and Alvarez expressing little interest, Masvidal has his eyes set on the undefeated boxer.

“I love to fight and one of my first loves growing up was boxing, and then I fell in love with wrestling and then UFC came about,” Masvidal said. “I was like, ‘Wow, I can do them both of them at the same damn time.’ I fell in love with the UFC, and that’s all I’ve done, the MMA. But I can box my ass off.”

White recently said that that should a collaboration with Mayweather become reality, the fight will most likely take place in the fall.  Whatever form it may take, it is certain to be a financial bonanza. Masvidal’s colleague Conor McGregor had a reported guarantee of $30 million and might’ve taken home as much as $85 million in his boxing match with Mayweather in 2017. Even sniffing a fraction of that would presumably make Masvidal a happy camper.

“Not saying I’m a better boxer than Mayweather but man,” Masvidal said,  “I’m gonna be in there with bad intentions, trying to hurt him. I’m a well-conditioned athlete who’s not going to fade. I’m not going to fade in the eighth of ninth round (as McGregor did). I’m going to be there for the whole night.

“I want to get into the biggest, toughest, roughest fights that I possibly can and make a paycheck for them as well, get compensated for my skills.”