https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vyaWDg2bT9g
After Conor McGregor’s recent racist idiocy, Floyd Mayweather brought the fighters down to the bottom of the smack talk barrel in their Friday night presser in London, calling McGregor a “faggot.”
The press conference at the SSE Arena in London’s Wembley Stadium followed the usual pattern, with opponents posturing and disrespecting each other in their distinct styles. Then, while ranting at McGregor, Mayweather dropped the anti-gay f-bomb and social media immediately took notice.
https://twitter.com/gifdsports/status/885953386172076032
Words matter. Language matters. Don't chalk this up to "fighting words" or "the heat of the moment." This is not acceptable. https://t.co/do1BJgJWOz
— The Chris Mosier (@TheChrisMosier) July 14, 2017
https://twitter.com/connor_flaska94/status/885970223010127872
Others felt McGregor hadn’t been criticized enough for using racially-charged rhetoric against Mayweather, and that the undefeated boxing champ had let the Irishman’s words get in his head.
https://twitter.com/JonBon_Joey/status/885970716973305856
Where's all the race card flashers now?!? #Mayweather just called #McGregor a "faggot" that should definitely cause an uproar like "boy" did
— HR (@1standGoal12) July 14, 2017
For his part, McGregor didn’t see the problem. He told MMAJunkie that he “actually didn’t even hear that” and that if Mayweather used that word he “couldn’t give a (expletive). I think what he was trying to do was to switch it up and get the people back in his favor.”
Showtime is airing the Mayweather-McGregor fight in August. In an email to USA Today, network spokesman Chris DeBlasio said that Mayweather’s “offensive remark” doesn’t have a “place at this event or anywhere else.”
A rep for the LGBTQ group Athlete Ally also gave a statement to the paper in which spokesperson Hudson Taylor said they condemned “the homophobic slur used by Floyd Mayweather” and that the use of “homophobic and racial epithets is shameful no matter how or why one uses them.”
Mayweather and McGregor likely don’t give a damn about any uproar over their words at all.
Floyd Mayweather, after all, has been repeatedly accused of domestic violence in the past, so let’s not pretend he has an ounce of sensitivity regarding the feelings of anyone. Conor McGregor has never shown any sign of bothering to check a single word that comes out of his mouth. He doesn’t want to interrupt his flow.
Also, these guys have made their millions pounding others and getting hit themselves.
None of this excuses any of the offensive shit they’ve said, but it’s a strong sign that respectful language regarding race and sexuality is extremely low on their lists of priorities, and will likely stay there.
h/t USA Today, MMA Junkie