Media Conference Call

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT! QUOTE HIGHLIGHTS FROM JARRETT HURD vs. JULIAN WILLIAMS MEDIA CONFERENCE CALL

Unified 154-Pound Champion Hurd & Top Contender Williams Exchange Words Leading Up to Highly-Anticipated Title Fight from EagleBank Arena in Fairfax, Virginia live on FOX & FOX Deportes This Saturday at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT

FAIRFAX, VA. (May 7, 2019) – Fight week is here for the world title showdown between unified 154-pound world champion “Swift” Jarrett Hurd and top contender Julian “J-Rock” Williams as they headline Premier Boxing Champions on FOX and FOX Deportes this Saturday from EagleBank Arena in Fairfax, Virginia live in primetime beginning at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.z

Both fighters have shown that they are ready and poised heading into this weekend’s fight, as displayed on last week’s international media conference call when they went back and forth ahead of this highly anticipated super welterweight match.

“My confidence level is sky high,” said Hurd, a Maryland-native who will be defending his title in his home region for the first time since becoming a world champion. “I want to make it one-sided all the way through. I have a different game plan for each fight. You never know what style I’ll bring out.”

“My confidence doesn’t come from his vulnerability,” said Philadelphia’s Williams. “My confidence comes from my own ability and what I know I can do in a boxing ring. He’s been able to overcome any vulnerabilities he has, but he hasn’t faced me yet and hasn’t overcome what I bring to the table.”

Hurd has been embraced by his DMV (D.C.-Maryland-Virginia) home, partnering with the Washington Redskins and appearing at events all over the area including the National Cherry Blossom Festival parade, the Broccoli City Festival and an MLS game for the D.C. United.

“When I first heard it was official I’d be fighting at home, it meant everything to me,” said Hurd. “Winning the world title was always a dream of mine and I accomplished that two times. Now I just want to defend it in front of my people. It’s the perfect time to come home and it’s going to be a special night.”

For Williams, he looks at the positive spin of fighting on his opponent’s home turf, “I see it as a good opportunity,” he said. “I don’t really think too much about how difficult it would be to fight him in his hometown. I just need an arena and some gloves. Just ring the bell, that’s all I’m thinking about.”

The 29-year-old Williams is riding a four-fight winning streak since losing his first shot at the 154-pound title in 2016 against Jermall Charlo. With strong wins over Ishe Smith and Nathaniel Gallimore included in that streak, Williams can culminate his climb back to the top on May 11.

“I knew 100% that I would get another shot,” said Williams. “I know that I’m a top 154-pound fighter. I just had to get back in there and keep fighting. You can’t stay down too long. You just get back up on the horse. I knew this time would be coming.

“I think that all of my fights have prepared me for this opportunity, not just the Charlo fight. I learned from the 21 fights I had before that too. The Charlo fight gave me a chance to go back to the drawing board and work on a bunch of things. I have championship experience and that’s invaluable.”

In April 2018, Hurd unified 154-pound titles by defeating WBA titlist Erislandy Lara in a thrilling contest that saw Hurd drop Lara in the final round to edge the decision on the scorecards. It was the consensus 2018 Fight of the Year, including recognition from the BWAA, ESPN, Sporting News and more.

“For me to be in a Fight of the Year against a fighter with Erislandy Lara’s style, I must be an exciting fighter,” said Hurd. “When fans tune-in to watch me, they know the fight is usually action-packed. I go out there and leave it all in the ring and give it my all every time.”

Both fighters appear geared and ready for an exciting and dramatic contest for 154-pound supremacy live in primetime this Saturday night.

“A lot of fighters say they had a good training camp, but this has really been the best camp of my life,” said Williams. “I did some different things and I added some difference pieces. We’re prepared for a really good fight and we’re prepared to win.”

“I don’t want this fight to be close,” said Hurd. “I’m trying to get the recognition that I work hard for. I think I have a better resume than guys at the top of the pound-for-pound list. I’m going to come out and prove it Saturday night and make a statement on FOX.”

Tickets for the event are on sale now and can be purchased through Ticketmaster (ticketmaster.com).

Erislandy Lara vs. Jarrett Hurd Media Conference Call Transcript & Audio Recording

Click HERE for Audio Recording

Leonard Ellerbe

Hello, everyone. Thank you for joining our call today. We’re very excited. What a great card we have come April the 7^th from Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. In the main event, we have Erislandy Lara versus Jarrett Hurd in an outstanding unification fight which will determine supremacy at the 154-weight class.

In the co-main event, we have a great rematch of a fight that saw Caleb Truax wrestle the IBF Super Middleweight Championship away from James DeGale. That’s going to be a terrific fight also.

In the opening bout, we have Julian Williams taking on Nathaniel Gallimore in what will be a very, very entertaining fight as an IBF Junior Middleweight Elimination Bout.

Our card is promoted by Mayweather Promotions and TGB Promotions. Tickets are still on sale at AXS.com and it starts as cheap as $50. Again, this will be a terrific card led by none other than – I’m going to introduce the man who’s totally responsible for putting all this together, none other than Stephen Espinoza.

Stephen Espinoza

Thanks, Leonard. Well, the hits keep coming here at SHOWTIME, coming off of a huge March schedule highlighted by the two big time heavyweight title fights. April on SHOWTIME will feature two stellar cards from Mayweather Promotions.

The first on April 7 is a high-quality tripleheader, three competitively matched fights with world title implications and our main event, Lara versus Hurd, a unification fight, featuring two of the top three consensus in the world at 154 pounds. Sort of the natural evolution of what has been an unofficial super welterweight tournament over the last year, year and a half on SHOWTIME.

In 2017, SHOWTIME televised eight matchups featuring all of the top five ranked super welterweight champions and challengers in that unofficial tournament. Now we get the natural results of that, a unification fight which happens to be only the sixth unification fight in the history of the 154-pound division.

Erislandy Lara, he’s the WBA champ, the longest reigning champion at 154 pounds. He won the WBA title on SHOWTIME in 2014 and he’s now making his sixth defense. With a record of 25-2-2, he could easily make the case that he could be undefeated certainly. The loss to Paul Williams was very controversial and a very close split decision loss to Canelo. So we very well could have an undefeated fighter.

Jarrett Hurd is the IBF champion. He made the first defense of his title on SHOWTIME in October. He has scored seven consecutive KOs as his level of bout position has dramatically increased and, in fact, he really has burst on the scene lately. His first televised fight was on SHOBOX in 2015, a KO of Frank Galarza, and he’s been on a roll ever since.

This fight, this main event, Lara versus Hurd, is one of five matchups of top five contenders, top five ranked fighters, on the SHOWTIME schedule just in the first half of this year. So we look forward to a great fight, a great card on April 7th.

L. Ellerbe

Thank you, Stephen. I would like to introduce the IBF world champion. What an outstanding young fighter. He’s from my hometown. He lives and trains out of Accokeek, Maryland. Always in exciting fights and we expect nothing different come April the 7th. He’s undefeated with a record of 21-0, with 15 KOs. He’s coming off of career-defining TKO victory over Austin Trout. Ladies and gentlemen, the IBF Junior Middleweight Champion, “Swift” Jarrett Hurd.

Jarrett Hurd

Training is going well. We’re getting prepared. This is a fight that I wanted just as bad as any and I’m glad we can make it happen. I just can’t wait to put on a show.

L. Ellerbe

Great. Okay. Next up, we have Erislandy “The American Dream” Lara with a record of 25 and 2 with 14 KOs. And again, as Stephen mentioned earlier, Lara is the longest reigning champion at 154. A tremendous boxer, real slick, real smooth. He’s been in there with all the top guys in the weight class and again, he’ll be looking to put on another great performance come April the 7th. So, ladies and gentlemen, Erislandy Lara.

Erislandy Lara

First I want to thank everyone on the call. Most importantly, I’d like to thank SHOWTIME for putting on a great fight, thank Mayweather Promotions, TGB Promotions and my whole team. Come April 7, I’ll be ready to fight and ready to put on a show.

For Stephen, I’m just wondering if you could give your thought process as to what made you decide to make a matchup between Erislandy Lara and Hurd as opposed to either of those guys against Charlo.

S. Espinoza

I think it was really the style matchup. When we sat down and looked at them, they’re three exciting fighters, three great champions, but the matchup that was really intriguing because of the styles was Lara versus Hurd.

Erislandy has never shied away from any challenge. Jarrett was very vocal about wanting to unify. And the combination of their styles, where they are in their careers, it seemed like an intriguing matchup.

Do you believe that the winner of the fight would then look to fight Charlo?

S. Espinoza

Absolutely. And Jermell is game. He’s on board. He’s on board for it. He was recently on SHOWTIME and he indicated he wants the winner. He wants the winner next.

Jarrett, what was it about this matchup that made you want it more?

J. Hurd

Well, I knew both fights will eventually happen. But I feel like the fight with Erislandy Lara will give me more credibility and will put me in position at number one. I wanted to be top guy in my division and now I feel like I am the top guy in my division.

This fight, I want it over the fight with Jermell Charlo, even though the fight with Jermell Charlo is more anticipated and people want – maybe because of our styles, but I wanted this fight because I feel like it will put me to better position in the 154 division.

Do you feel like at 27 years old you’re now in your prime and that basically whether it’s Erislandy Lara, or anybody else in the weight class that Jarrett Hurd’s punching power can take care of them?

J. Hurd

I feel like my power – I have the power that’s deceptive and it doesn’t look as hard on TV or while you’re in there until you feel it. It’s a total different story.

I feel like my power can stop anyone, put anyone down. But on April 7th, the knockout streak, I’ll stop another guy and I plan on continuing to keep doing.

Are you ready for a much different kind of style in an experienced fighter like Lara? How do you deal with that kind of skill?

J. Hurd

Lara, he’s been the longest reigning champion at 154. I’ve been fighting at 154 all my life, so we’ve been watching him since I turned professional and the style Lara presents we’ve been training for this long before this training camp. He’s a great champion but Lara has always been on top and we always study and the game plan we got is perfect and this is why we wanted the fight. It’s no secret how badly I wanted this fight.

Of course, I’m not going to stay in there and try to box with Lara because Lara is an expert on what he does. Lara is not going to stand there toe-to-toe with me because of my size, inside game and my power. So it’s going to be a cat and mouse game and I just can’t wait to show you guys that outcome.

I wonder if Lara could give me his perspective on where he thinks Jarrett Hurd falls in the weight class and whether or not he feels like he is going to have to outbox him or maybe he can mix it up with him a bit.

E. Lara

I’m ready to go for April 7th. Jarrett Hurd, as everyone knows, he’s a big, strong fighter, but pretty basic. He can try to fight, kind of like a Mexican strong style and those are styles that I’d like to fight.

So come April 7^th, we hope he’s prepared. I’m prepared and want to put on a great fight for the fans and for the writers and for everyone else.

Was this a fight that Erislandy wanted or would he have preferred a Charlo unification?

E. Lara

As everyone knows, I was the one who wanted this fight. He won his title in February, I wanted to fight him in October and his team said he wasn’t ready to fight me in October. They wanted him to be prepared to fight another southpaw and prepare for me.

So, as the pressure mounted, Jarrett Hurd decided just to fight. So I’m happy he stepped up to the plate but as everyone knows, I want his belt and I want the other belts in this division as well.

Jarrett, how do you feel Erislandy compares to Trout in the sense of how much better he might be and how much of a step-up in competition it is for you?

J. Hurd

I feel like Lara has a little bit better foot movement than Trout. And one thing about Trout, he took chances in my fight. He stayed there with me. I don’t think Lara is going to take that many chances. He’s a very disciplined fighter.

So whatever works for him, he’s going to stick to exactly what he’s working for. He’s never going to change it no matter how hot on the scorecard he is or not, he’s going to stick to his game plan and I think he’s much more disciplined and a little sharper than Trout.

How much do you feel that it helped you to fight Trout to get ready for this fight?

J. Hurd

It definitely helped me, not only to fight Trout, but just going to two training camps with southpaws. I only fought three southpaws in my career before Trout. So now I have a lot of experience with them. So going into this fight I wanted to kind of go into two or three camps before I face Lara and I think it helped me.

Erislandy said that you fight like a Mexican. How much of a compliment do you take that as?

J. Hurd

Mexicans are fighters, man. I take it as a compliment. When you describe a Mexican fighter, you stay toe-to-toe and that’s what the fans like to see. Of course, that’s not my only style. Everyone sees I can switch it up with my fight with Frank Galarza back in Las Vegas and it all depends on what I have to bring out that night. I can do it all.

Erislandy, what do you think of how Hurd fought in the Trout fight?

E. Lara

I watched the Trout fight in the locker room and as I was preparing for my fight, so I couldn’t watch that carefully but from what I saw in the fight, I thought Trout was winning the fight and as the fight wore on, obviously, Trout’s legs weren’t there and he hadn’t fought in 17 months and he’s also a fighter who’s on the back-end of his career, and had lost already several times.

But I thought Trout was actually doing a good job in the fight and, like I said, Hurd is a guy who likes to take it up a notch after six, seven rounds and I like to take it up a notch or two after six, seven rounds. So, this is going to be a great fight. And come April 7, I’m just ready to rumble.

Based on what you just said, do you feel that maybe too much has been made of the Trout win?

E. Lara

People are going to have their take on the Trout fight but, there is no fighter at 154 or 160 or anywhere around this weight division that has my style and my boxing ability and my smarts, and that’s the reason I’ve made it this far.

Trout was out 17 months. He is an older guy. He’s been defeated several times and he is a former world champ but he’s also had a loser mentality.

It’s a lot different when you’re fighting a winner and you’re fighting the guy who also dominated Trout and put him on the deck and let him off the hook in the 12th. It’s an exciting fight and we’re excited to put on a great fight.

How important is it for you, if you’re able to beat Jarrett Hurd, that you go and fight Jermell Charlo and you in effect clean out the 154-pound division?

E. Lara

I said it before and I’m going to say it again. I’m going to clean out the division and that has been my plan from the beginning and I’m going to stick to my plan. I don’t care who the champions are. I don’t care what their names are or where they’re from. I’m going to clean up the division and it starts April 7.

Do you view Hurd as a tougher fight than Charlo or vice versa?

E. Lara

I don’t look at them any different. They’re both to me kind of the same fighter. They both come up to the ring with a purpose and they’re trying to win. But at the end of the day, I’m the best fighter in this division. It’s been proven over years. So whether it was Hurd first, Charlo first, it didn’t matter. I’m just ready to rumble.

L. Ellerbe

I would also like to touch on that. With all due respect to Trout, Jarrett Hurd ain’t Austin Trout. I mean, this kid is the real deal. I try to look back in the history of this particular division and I can’t think of a fighter who was as big and physical and applies the kind of pressure — especially mental pressure — that he puts on guys in a very, very long time. This is going to be a tremendous fight, an excellent matchup, contrasting styles and I’m really, really excited to see this bout.

You said before in the past that you start off slow in your fights on purpose even to the point of taking a blow or two from your opponent. What’s your thinking behind strategy like that?

J. Hurd

I’m just feeling my opponent out. You don’t want to go out there and not know what he’s capable of. So you just don’t want to go out there and take that many chances without seeing what the guy’s got. So, I just use the first round to see what he has and take it from there, make the adjustments.

Do you think people recognize your size and your power? Do they underestimate your ability to fight inside?

J. Hurd

A hundred percent. I don’t think now, but I think they did before. Me being a taller, longer, rangier guy they expect me to be on the outside and I know I surprised a lot of people when I start to fight inside, that close. I watched a lot of James Toney. So that’s where I kind of get it from.

Stephen, you said this fight was chosen and put together based on the styles of these fighters. Is it that you recognized the last four opponents that Hurd’s faced were two orthodox fighters and also two southpaw fighters that he put on a great performance against?

S. Espinoza

Well, it was more looking for an entertaining fight. It’s sort of the classic matador-and-bull type of fight. You’ve got a really aggressive hard-punching, young, strong champion and you’ve got, another champion who’s known as one of the most skilled fighters in any division. So it’s sort of the unstoppable force immovable object coming together; which style is going to win out?

So it really wasn’t as much looking at past opponents as it was, what might be the most exciting fight. And not to say that Jermell isn’t an exciting fighter, too, because, that is definitely something that’s very, very possible in the near future.

So it was just, which one could come first, which one would come next, and I think the clash of styles is what attracted us to this matchup first.

L. Ellerbe

Sometimes when people referred to Lara, they just mostly speak about his boxing skill. But Lara can also crack, too. So those out there who sleep on Lara’s power are sadly mistaken. I’ve sat ringside, first row a couple of his fights and especially the Canelo fight and I’ve seen firsthand what his power looks like. And if anybody’s sleeping on his power, they are sadly mistaken.

Jarrett do you think those recent fights are the fights that prepared you going into this fight against Lara?

J. Hurd

Yes, I feel more though that my career period has prepared me for this fight. I didn’t come up the easy route. So I didn’t have a big amateur career. A lot of people didn’t want to give me a chance. I had to go out there and take them. My performances I put on when I got the opportunity each and every time on TV, I went out there and did what I was supposed to.

So, I feel like just my career, period, and all I’ve been through prepared me for this fight, not just those fights on TV, but those little fights.

You say that you want to go ahead and walk opponents down and try to get rid of them, put the more pressure on. Is that the case?

Jarrett Hurd:

It depends. Like during the Austin Trout fight. He did lack a little power, so I was willing to take some to get some in. I was willing to take some chances but, it all depends on, like you said, if they all lack a little power. Are you willing to take those chances?

Like my fight with Oscar Molina, he can crack a little more than Tony Harrison, so I was kind of a little more head movement and little less willing to go into there without being cautious.

It all depends. But like I said man it’s crazy because people define me by my last two fights as that’s my style. I was the guy that always was the kind of puncher and fought from his back foot until guys started to compare me and look at my size. I didn’t even realize I was that big of a fighter until I got on the stage with some of these guys. So my last two fights are the only fights that I have fought that way in my career, coming forward and then pressure, because I knew eventually I would have to come into a fight with a guy like Lara. We’ve been working on it, but I could switch it up. I can do whatever. It all depends on my opponent that night and y’all just going to have to wait and see.

Erislandy, are there any concerns about him getting stronger as the fight goes on and also how he’s able to take punches from people and actually take their power?

E. Lara

I keep seeing people refer to his height or how big he is, but Williams was taller and bigger than him. Canelo was and is stronger than him, and they couldn’t deal with me.

So I’m not worried about what he has to bring today. I’m worried about what I have to do in that ring. I’m focused. I’m ready, and there’s no question in my mind I know I can knock him out. If he gets reckless, he’s going to get knocked down. And if not, then he’s going to get beat up.

He’s going to have to make that decision on April 7 whether he’s willing to go through the fire or if he’s just willing just to lose a decision. It’s up to him. He’s going to have to decide that on April 7.

Do you think that those past fights have given you any kind of preparation or anything for this fight coming? Or do you feel that you’re totally different from when you fought Paul Williams and when you fought Canelo, physically?

E. Lara

I don’t look for one specific fight. I don’t look at last fight or the last four fights because my whole life, I’ve been preparing for this, since Cuba.

I didn’t have shoes until I was 5 years old. I was preparing for this. I was born to be a fighter. It was during my whole amateur career, 350 plus amateur fights, several world championships across the amateurs. Now my whole pro-career, I fought the top guys, I’ve beat the top guys, and that’s what’s prepared me for this fight and prepared me to fight whoever is available in the division.

So I’m ready to go and I’m ready to fight.

Leonard, with Mayweather Promotions, are you guys planning to put more and more fights together, not just with your own fighters but working with SHOWTIME to put on just top-quality fights, period?

L. Ellerbe

We’re very excited to promote all these big events, working along with SHOWTIME and expect to see more of it in the next couple of months.

We’ve outlined our next few big events that we have and expect more of that in the fall of this year. All we’re looking to do is put on the biggest and best events and make them for the fans.

What is Erislandy’s take on sometimes people not appreciating the sweet science and his boxing ability?

E. Lara

This is a sport. Boxing is hit and don’t get hit. That’s the way it was taught from the beginning of time. It’s a sweet science and all fights are different. Styles are different. Styles obviously make fights.

Some guys are willing to take more risk than others and that sometimes dictates the action in a fight. My main focus is to win every fight and win clearly. That’s my job.

Erislandy are you the only fighter in the division that could put Jermell Charlo in his place?

E. Lara

One hundred percent yes. And from my experiences of hundreds of rounds of sparring, Jermell Charlo won’t fight Erislandy Lara next when we get done with Hurd. Only time will tell.

Jarrett, do you see any weakness in Erislandy Lara?

J. Hurd

Well you all will have to see that on fight night. Not to give away too much of the game plan, but, like I said, Lara’s toughest fights are when guys put pressure on him. And that’s what we’re going to do.

Leonard, you talked about Jarrett’s versatility and how you’ve done some research on this weight class and his size. But in your time, have you seen a guy with his relative inexperience to someone like Lara expressing the confidence that he has done and also just rising so quickly against quality opposition like this?

L. Ellerbe

No, I think it’s a tremendous asset. Confidence is everything in this sport. He has a strong belief in his skill set and his ability to go out there and get it done.

Obviously, this is the biggest and toughest challenge to date with Lara being a great champion who has fought on the big stage and has fought a number of great fighters. But again, those contrasting styles and Jarrett having the ability and the confidence to bring that to the table I think is going to make a big, big difference.

Because it’s one thing with sitting on the outside and watching guys fight on TV, but it’s a whole different ballgame when you got a light heavyweight walking you down and putting that kind of mental pressure on you. But Lara’s built for this kind of thing because he’s seen any and every kind of style out there.

So these are the reasons why I think it’s a great, great matchup because again, I think that Jarrett is going to bring out the best in Lara and I think vice-versa, Lara is going to bring the best out in Jarrett. Period.

When it comes to Lara, we’ve seen him on the big stage before. He’s a tremendous boxer. He’s actually, in my eyes, the best boxer that’s out there. Tremendous foot movement, head movement, coming from that great Cuban school of boxing, he’s a real deal.

But again, you got this young, tough, hungry lion that had the mindset that he doesn’t care what Lara has done in the past because Lara has never fought nobody like Jarrett Hurd, and vice-versa.

That’s what makes this an intriguing matchup. Come April 7, I expect this fight probably might end in a knockout.

What is your assessment of Jarrett Hurd compared to the guys you faced in your career?

E. Lara

I don’t compare fighters. I look at him as a young, hungry kid who’s got desire. He wants to be great. He’s going to come forward and he’s going to come ready to fight. If he doesn’t come forward, then I’ll be ready to fight, too, however it plays out. But I’m ready for everything he brings to the table.

When was the last time, Erislandy, that someone outright predicted that they were going to knock you out as he has done?

E. Lara

Every fighter wants to knock you out when you get in that ring. Paul Williams wanted to knock me out. Canelo, Vanes, plus he keeps mentioning how it’s going to be Angulo and this and that.

Well, Angulo connected on me twice, but don’t forget how that fight finished. I ended Angulo’s career. I ruined his career and I put him out of the top level of boxing.

If Jarrett Hurd thinks he’s going to come like that, I’m going to end his career too, at 27 years old. So come April 7, I’m hoping he puts that pressure so I could ruin his career for all the talking that he’s been doing.

Jarrett? What did you think of what he just said?

J. Hurd

I mean, here’s the thing, we all know that Lara has the experience. He’s seen every style from right-handed to the southpaw. Anything you give him, he’s seen it all. But he has not experienced what I’m about to give him.

It’s not about the styles that you’ve seen; it’s about what you’re about to experience. So this is a whole different ballgame. You get in there to fight with Jarrett Hurd and you’ll see how that all ends.

I speak from the heart and I say what I feel. I’m not just out here talking just to talk. I’m putting in the work. Where my chance is going and where I see this fight playing out, there’s no way that Lara is going to come out of top.

What makes you different from Angulo? And also, does it give you a little bit of an edge that he is a little bit older now than he was then?

J. Hurd

No, we never play that old card. You’ve seen Lara’s performances. He’s still in great shape. Age is not factor. I hate guys saying the same thing with Austin Trout. They say age is starting to show.

We’re not going to play the age card. We see that Lara is still a great fighter. He’s the longest reigning champion for a reason and age shouldn’t play a part.

As far as the past Angulo thing, nothing to take away from Angulo. He’s a great fighter, he’s done great things, but I’m much faster than Angulo, much sharp than Angulo, hit harder than Angulo and I’m a much bigger guy.

So physically, when I’m in there, on him in the ring, he’s going to feel it. He couldn’t take the pressure and the style from Angulo. He’s going to be in long night when he fights me.

L. Ellerbe

Okay. Ladies and gentlemen, you’ve heard from both fighters. Again, we have a tremendous lineup, great tripleheader live on SHOWTIME, April the 7th, 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT, from Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. Lara versus Hurd, Truax versus DeGale, Julian Williams versus Nathaniel Gallimore. What a tremendous tripleheader, live on SHOWTIME.

We want to thank everyone for joining us on the call. Have a wonderful day.

Mikey Garcia vs. Sergey Lipinets Media Conference Call Transcript & MP3

Click HERE for Audio Recording

Richard Schaefer

Thank you and thank you all for participating in today’s call.

First of all, I would like to thank our co-promoters, Tom Brown, from TGB Promotions and Mike Battah and James Leija, from Leija Battah Promotions. And as well, of course, our sponsors, Corona, and our local sponsor in San Antonio, Metro PCS, who has activated this fight in over 130 stores in and around San Antonio.

The biggest thank you goes to Al Haymon’s PBC and SHOWTIME Sports for their commitment, their continued commitment, and passion for the sport of boxing. It is a pleasure now to introduce to you Stephen Espinoza.

Stephen Espinoza

Thanks for the introductions. Glad to be back in San Antonio and glad to be back with Richard working another big event. I’ll be brief here.

These two fights on the televised portion can speak for themselves, two title fights in the 140-pound division. Two fighters who want fight. Obviously, our main event here, the entire card, was postponed for a period of time due to an injury, but everyone was anxious to get it rescheduled. Mikey Garcia certainly wants his opportunity at the title. Sergey Lipinets was just as anxious to keep this fight on the schedule so that he could get a career- making opportunity. We look at our co-feature of Barthelemy and Relikh, a controversial fight in 2017 and each of them wasted no time wanting to get into a rematch, no one doubts that.

So, we’ve got four guys in the 140-pound division, all looking at extra fights. Just a reminder, before the 10:15 SHOWTIME start, at 8:00 pm on SHO EXTREME, we have local favorite Mario Barrios and Eudy Bernardo. And then, a really solid fight, really a better than solid fight, it’s really a solid fight for an Extreme card. It’s a look at the eliminator between Alejandro Luna and Richard Commey, it’s along with all the other non-televised fights. It’s going to be a really strong night of fights.

R. Schaefer

So when it comes to history, San Antonio is certainly one of the richest cities in the United States. Many battles have taken place there outside of the ring and more recently, inside the ring. San Antonio is a fight town, its fans are passionate and knowledgeable. So it’s only fitting that this historic showdown between one of the hardest hitters in the sport, a world champion, and undefeated fighter, Sergey Lipinets against one of the pound for pound best fighters in the world, a three-division world champion, an undefeated superstar, Mikey Garcia is taking place in San Antonio.

I was fortunate to promote many big events there, so I’m really excited to bring this exciting card back to San Antonio. We will have an amazing 14 fights on this card. A little bit of everything in store for fight fans.

Five of the fighters are from Texas, so there’s plenty of Texas flavor on the menu as well. Most notably, local San Antonio star and undefeated with a record of 20-0, Mario Barrios and 14-0, Brandon Figueroa, the brother of Omar Figueroa. Then we have as well emerging stars such as Alejandro Luna, with 22-0, one of the most exciting fighters in the sport.

The co-main event, Stephen mentioned it already, features a rematch of one of the most exciting fights of last year. I checked the weather; it’s beautiful outside and it will be hot at the Freeman Coliseum. For as little as $20, you can see the most exciting card, top to bottom, that I can remember in a while. Action, excitement, and passion will be on display.

I’d like to turn it over to first the trainers, and then, the fighters. Both fighters are trained by two of the best and most decorated trainers in the world. Sergey Lipinets is trained by a two-division world champion and someone who has made a big name for as a trainer now as well, having trained many world champions in his corner. It’s a pleasure now to ask Buddy to say a few words.

Buddy McGirt

Good afternoon. Basically, I don’t really have too much say, man. I want to thank everybody for putting the fight together. I think it’s a great fight for boxing. I think Mikey took on a big challenge, as well as we have. In boxing, the best should always fight the best. And this is a fight, that didn’t take long to make and I’m happy to be part of it. As far as anything else goes, I just have three words for everybody, that’s wait and watch.

R. Schaefer

Thank you, Buddy. Well, the Garcias. The Garcias are to boxing what the Kennedys are to politics. They are today, the first family of boxing. The patriarch, Eduardo Garcia, he mentions that he’s officially retired but I can tell he is still very active every day. He’s in the gym and sharing his wisdom with young kids, very passionate about it. He’s there at every training session for Mikey, of course. So we have Eduardo, and then there is Robert Garcia, the former world champion, in 2012 BWAA Trainer of the Year. He has gyms in San Antonio, as a matter of fact, and in California. And we’ll have several of his fighters be active in San Antonio on that card. It is a pleasure now to introduce to you one of the best trainers in the world, Robert Garcia.

Robert Garcia

We’re just ready. We’re obviously ready for this fight just like Buddy said it’s a big fight for both fighters. So we’re definitely taking this fight very seriously and even though it got postponed a month later, we continued our training and sparring. So we’re going to be in good shape for this fight.

R. Schaefer

Now to the two undefeated fighters, both are world champions, and both look at this fight as their platform to make a statement and to make history. First up, Sergey Lipinets, is a fighter who has two passions, and in a way, these two passions go hand in hand; it’s boxing and chess. If he’s not in the gym, he plays chess and if he does not play chess, he’s in the gym. It’s pretty much as simple as that. He’s heavy-handed, he’s strong, he knows as well how to box when necessary, and he quickly became one of the most feared fighters because of his skills and his power. He comes from the Eastern European School of Boxing, born in Kazakhstan, raised in Russia, and now living in Beverly Hills.

This young man really deserves a lot of credit for his very first defense, and it’s a voluntary title defense, one of the best pound for pound fighters in the world. But he did not hesitate a second when the fight was offered to him. He simply said, “No problem; that is how I become a superstar.”

Please welcome now the undefeated IBF World Campion, Sergey Lipinets.

Sergey Lipinets

Hello, everybody. Everything is great, everything went fine, and the hand is completely healed. I’m using it at will, no problem, full power. I’m very anxious, really want to get to San Antonio and just get in the ring.

I’m just delighted, I’m just very excited about the opportunity. I believe that that’s the only way we can make a statement in boxing. Even winning the title, I still didn’t really feel like a champ because of the fact that I didn’t really fight a guy that had been on the top of the game, in the world of boxing. No offense to Mr. Kondo, it’s just that I really can’t wait until I shows my skills and prove to myself first and then, everybody else, that I belong at the top of the food chain.

R. Schaefer

Now, Mikey Garcia. Mikey Garcia in my books, and in the books of many, is today, pound for pound the best fighter in the world. In my opinion, it’s not about what he’s done, in one, or two, or three fights, but it is his cumulative achievements with 37 wins and zero losses. The fact that he has already – he’s already a three-division world champion, and the fact the he continues to challenge himself to fight the best and most dangerous opponents.

He stands up for what is right and what is wrong. He’s very much involved in charitable causes and he is a mentor to many young fighters. All this together makes him, in my books, pound for pound. And today, he’s an ambassador of the sport of boxing. I am very proud to be on his journey and it is a distinct pleasure now to introduce to you the undefeated superstar, Mikey Garcia.

Mikey Garcia

I’m very happy with training camp, very excited for the upcoming fight. We’re only less than two weeks to go now and camp went great even though it was pushed back a few weeks. It didn’t really affect us at all, like my brother told you, we continue to train, we continue our sparring and we peak every moment, we work hard, we have great sparring partners for this match as well. So I couldn’t be happier.

I’m very excited to be in San Antonio. I know that it’s a big boxing community. My brother has a gym out there and so, we have a big, strong fan base in San Antonio. In general, to be in Texas is great. I won a world title there back in 2013 and now I get the opportunity to win another world title in the state of Texas. So I’m very excited for that as well.

I can’t take Lipinets lightly at all. I know he’s a tough, determined champion and he sees this as a huge priority in turn. When he faces me, if he were to beat me, I’ll start delivering for him. But I’m not looking at that, I’m focusing on winning. I believe my skills and my boxing abilities are greater than what he brings and I’m just excited for the fight. I’m ready to get on and I think this will open up even bigger doors for me.

So it’s going to be huge accomplishment when I do win this world title on the 10th and I think it’ll be a big celebration for our family, my dad, my brother, for my nephew. For the whole family to be champions in anther division. It’s going to be a great night. I just can’t explain how happy I am. It’s just a great opportunity, a great position that I’m at and I’m just very thankful to be where I am.

How much of a factor in this fight do you think your professional experience will be compared to him?

M. Garcia

I don’t think the experience is the difference here. I think he has a lot of experience like you just mentioned as an amateur. Even moving up the ranks as a pro, to be champion in only 13 fights, tells you the caliber of fighter that he is. It took me 30 fights to get a title and it only took him 13. So, it definitely tells you he’s champion material and experienced enough to be there.

I think the deciding factor and what’s going to allow me to do prevail is my boxing abilities, my speed, my footwork, my timing. The skills that I possess, I think are greater and that’s just going to help me win my fight.

Are you ready to say that you’re done at 135 pounds?

M. Garcia

No, I am not done at 135 and unless you guys just don’t, include the entire quote, when I do mention, moving up to 147, I always mention that I do want to come back to 135 after this fight with Lipinets. I want to come down to 135 and even unify the titles there before officially leaving the division.

But the plan is to fight this fight first, take care of business on the 10th, then I will look at my options. But I do want to do a unification match at a lightweight. Then eventually, make my way up to 147. Maybe even by the end of this year, I’ll set it, maybe by the end of this year. If not, then next year for sure. That’s a rich division with huge names, huge fights, that I want to be part of.

Richard, do you think could tell me your thoughts about Mikey’s game plan about beyond March 10?

R. Schaefer

First of all to have a fighter who can be dominant or who is dominant in two weight classes, once he moves in 147, I have no doubt that he will dominant there as well. I think it’s exactly what I said before in the opening remarks, that is what somebody who is pound for pound on the top of the list.

If the Linares and Lomachenko fights don’t happen, there are other options at 135 for Mikey, such as Robert Easter. So, he has a lot of options at 135, he has a lot of options at 140 as well, including potentially the winner of the other fight which is going to be the co-main.

First things first, and I think this is exactly dangerous when you start overlooking opponents because – and I had that same conversation with Mikey not to overlook Sergey and I know he doesn’t.. We may have that same conversation about Sergey then, after the final bell on March the 10th. So, I think there are definitely, for both fighters, big options out there.

What are Sergey’s thoughts about all the plans that are sort of out there that Mikey could be involved in beyond this fight?

S. Lipinets

Well, first of all, the fact that everybody’s talking about Mikey or fighting this guy after that fight or that guy after that fight, it really doesn’t matter with me. If anything, it motivates me even more as far as looking for some other fights after that fight, I’m not looking past Mikey. There’s nothing that I’m thinking about but Mikey’s fight and then when the fight actually occurs and when I come out to where I’m going to come out of that ring, then you start talking about the future opponents.

Of course, you want to the fight the best. I’ve proven my whole career as a boxer, I’ve fought always tougher guys than people thought I should have been fighting. I was not built up on their buddies, I was not built up on thinking that we’re supposed to be opponents. So, yes, I’m looking for a challenge all the time. But first things first. On March 10th, Mikey Garcia.

Sergey how much better do your hand feels at this point, less than two weeks before the fight?

S. Lipinets

It’s better than ever. It’s like a brand new hand. It’s way better than it was before. You will see my hand in action guaranteed March 10th; not once, but many, many times.

In hindsight are you happy that it was supposed because now you’re going into the fight healthy as opposed to before?

S. Lipinets

Of course I was upset, of course I was distracted. But in hindsight, everything happens for a reason. I’ve been very philosophical about it and then look, it’s just whatever happens, happens. You got little more time. As a matter of fact, it even works for the best. So I’m great now, that’s the main thing.

Mikey I was just wondering what you thought of Lipinets’ last performance?

M. Garcia

Well from what I’ve seen, he did fight a very durable guy and that’s why he did go the distance but I also saw another side of Lipinets. He also can box. He can use defense. He can time and counter.

So there’s some more to Lipinets than just the power. There’s more than just that right hand. So those are things I have to be aware of, I have to be cautious about. That’s why he is a world champion so I respect him, I give him the credit for being champion with only 13 fights and taking on a fight against me shows his heart and determination.

Did think he was capable of doing those things and did he surprise you a little bit?

M. Garcia

Well I hadn’t seen that. I had seen his fight against Zappavingna a year ago and this time around he fought a little differently for some of the rounds so I was a little surprised that he could box the way he did. He is more than what people paint him to be and that’s why he is a champion.

Buddy, what are you hoping that Sergey shows people in this fight because I know you think very highly of his capabilities and what he can do.

B. McGirt

It’s not about what I want I him to show. I know what he’s going to do. It’s just a matter of time. And like I say, my favorite three words for this fight are: wait and watch. That’s all I’m going to say. So no matter what you ask me, that’s the answer you’re going to get from me is wait and watch.

What was it during training camp at the beginning when the fight was scheduled for February 10, what was it that you saw that was the concern and what kind of confidence does that give you for your hand going into this fight?

S. Lipinets

Well, main reason for concern was of course the fight is going to get completely scratched out. That was the main reason I was real upset. I knew that I wouldn’t be able to use that hand at a full capacity the way it was. And as a matter of fact, you have to go to the Athletic Commission appointed doctor to take a look at it and he was the one saying that you can’t fight, you have to lay up for a month to let that hand rest.

Now the hand is great. I’m using it every single day. I’m hitting as hard as I can, there’s no problem with it and I’m happy. That’s it. I mean there is nothing to be even worried about.

What are you thinking about for March 10 with Sergey Lipinets as far as what kind of hunger and drive does that give you to make sure that you can, after the fight is done, we can talk about those type of things that we were talking about earlier?

M. Garcia

Like I’ve always said, we have to plan out for the future, and plan for the best but, first things first, March 10, I have a very important fight with Sergey Lipinets. That’s why even though we do mention other future plans, my main focus has been Sergey Lipinets.

I think with his type of fighting and style and his hunger to be who I am he said it before, he wants to be what I am, he wants to be in my place. That’s a recipe for a great fight. He’s going to come in the best shape ever because he knows what’s in front of him. He knows the opportunity that’s in front. I’m coming with everything because I also want that title. I want to gain that other fourth division title for me.

So that’s just a recipe for a great matchup and I think he’s going to give everything he has and leave everything in the ring and I’m going to do the same because that’s who I am. You’ve seen me, many, many times and that’s just what I do.

So I think it’s going to be a great match. I think I’m going to win because of my boxing abilities. Like I said, my timing, my speed, my footwork, all the little elements I think are going to help me win this fight, but it’s definitely going to be a great matchup.

Mikey is there a weight class that would you say best suits you or is it just going to be about looking for the biggest fights and you can make all three just as easy?

M. Garcia

I think right now as of right now the best ideal weight for me is still the lightweight division. It’s probably where I should be fighting. But I’m just taking on bigger challenges and that’s why we’re taking on Sergey Lipinets.

I got a good feel for the division at 140 pounds when I fought Adrien Broner last summer. I felt good, I felt comfortable in that weight class and that’s why we’re taking on Lipinets this time. So I still feel comfortable enough to fight at junior welterweight. Sergey is a strong natural 140-pounder but I feel comfortable enough being here.

Actually, I feel stronger. I don’t know, maybe the guys are bigger guys and that’s why they can take a bigger punch. Lightweight, they’re a little smaller, maybe I can hurt them a little more. But I’m open to fighting anybody that presents a challenge and Sergey definitely does that right now and that’s why we took this fight.

Sergey with the hand injury in training after you fought in November, do you think it’s better that you’re fighting four months out instead of three months out?

S. Lipinets

Yes, I was ready to go on February 10. I wanted to go but whatever happened, happened. And that’s going give me a little more time to recoup.

The fight with Kondo was a real tough fight but it was tougher on Mr. Kondo having taken all those punches that not that many people could’ve taken from myself. I was happy to just go 12 rounds and show sides of me. Mr. Kondo turned out to be not as easy a fighter as people thought he would be. I’m happy to go 12 rounds and then get that experience.

Mikey are you aware of the the risk and what’s really at stake for you if you were to lose this fight against Sergey Lipinets?

M. Garcia

I understand the risk and I understand what’s at stake, what the cost would be if I were to be beaten by Lipinets, all my future plans would be tossed out the window and I wouldn’t be able to do anything that I plan on doing in my future.

But that’s why I take this fight very seriously. I took the other camp very serious, I worked very hard for all the days that we did and never took a break. I’m very focused and determined on winning this fight because this fight will open the doors that I’m talking about. A bigger fight, a bigger plan and that’s why I have to take Sergey Lipinets extremely seriously. I can’t overlook him at all.

Do you have a sense of how surprising that was, for you to dominate Broner, in the boxing community?

M. Garcia

Well like I said, people still haven’t seen the best out of me. I keep telling people, the best is yet to come for a reason. I need the right opponent to challenge me, to push me to the limit so they can bring out the best out of me.

When I was fighting Adrien Broner I told everybody that I would box and make the fight easy for me. Not a lot of people believed that because they just haven’t seen that side of me or they haven’t seen it in Broner. That’s why with this fight with Lipinets I get to release all my skills.

Like I said, I seen in the last fight, he can also box. He can also counter. He has timing and that’s what makes him a complete world champion. I got to be able to fight these challenges so I can bring out the best out of me. That’s why I’m prepared to do everything it takes to win this fight on March 10.

How important is it to you to to keep succeeding from the standpoint of the Mexican boxing landscape right now?

M. Garcia

Well I think there’s great history with Mexican fighters and just to be accepted, by the Mexican fans, as one of their own, because my parents were born in Mexico, I speak the language, I represent Mexico. I’m Mexican, born here in the United States but with Mexican heritage and Mexican blood. To be accepted is great. I’m just doing what I got to do inside the ring to give glory to my family first and hopefully my people that follow me as well.

I think we’re on the right path that Mexico will be very, very proud, all my fans in Mexico will be very proud of my accomplishments. They can point a finger and say that’s one of ours, he’s our fighter and that’ll be just another huge accomplishment in my career.

Is there a tendency for you, or maybe a desire to possibly fight more toe to toe in this fight? Or are you going to box completely if you have to box?

M. Garcia

Look I never go into a fight with one game plan and one game plan only. I am prepared to do whatever it takes to win my fight. If I box my way through a decision victory, if that’s what it takes, that’s what it takes. If I have to brawl with my opponent, I’m prepared to do that. If I have to put the pressure on my opponent and exchange punches in order to land a punch and try to go for a knock out, then I’m prepared to do that as well.

So I’m ready to do whatever it takes. I just know that it’s going to be a great fight and I know that the fans are going to be very happy with my performance.

Can you express how motivated you are as a result of reading about yourself as the underdog?

S. Lipinets

Well I understand why it is all about Mikey. I realize the fact that I just stepped into the boxing world, what, 2-1/2 years ago. I understand what Mikey brings to the table and what he does as far as the publicity, as far as the heritage and as far as the boxing abilities. Of course more people know who Mikey is than they know who I am. I’m cool with that.

I don’t care if people think that Mikey is going to beat me, if Mikey is going to completely wipe me out. People think what people think. Every boxing person that really understands boxing will understand what kind of a fight it is and what I bring to boxing. It’s a great challenge I’m all about challenge. They’re two great fighters that are going to fight each other. That’s the way I look at that.

R. Schaefer

Okay thank you everybody. As Buddy McGirt was saying, wait and watch. Well the wait is almost over, a couple weeks left so I say come and watch. Come and watch at the Freeman Coliseum for as little as $20, March 10. Fourteen fights including two world championship fights, including one of the best fighters in the world going to challenge himself for a fourth weight class.

If you can’t make it to the Freeman Coliseum in San Antonio, make sure you watch it at SHOWTIME. Thank you very much and we’ll see you all ringside on March 10 in San Antonio.

Deontay Wilder vs. Luis Ortiz International Media Conference Call Transcript & Audio Recording

Deontay Wilder vs. Luis Ortiz International Media Conference Call Transcript & Audio Recording

Click HERE for MP3

Lou DiBella

Thanks for joining us, everybody for the call for SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING tripleheader presented by Premier Boxing Champions featuring the heavyweight championship of the world pitting Deontay Wilder vs. Luis Ortiz at Barclay Center in Brooklyn, New York Saturday night March 3, 2018.

Tickets are on sale for the live event and available at Ticketmaster, Barclays Center box office or barclaycenter.com. It’s been a great start to the year already for SHOWTIME Boxing. It’s been a great start of the year for Stephen Espinoza who was recently promoted deservingly to President of sports and events programming for SHOWTIME Networks.

Stephen’s been instrumental in Deontay Wilder having a home at SHOWTIME and was instrumental in creating this tremendous tripleheader for the fans on March 3rd so it’s my pleasure to introduce Stephen Espinoza.

Stephen Espinoza

Thanks very much, Lou, and as good as a main event this is and we’re very excited about it, the other two fights that are on the card are high-quality fights as well.

These are three fights which could have been a main event in their own right. Andre Dirrell and José Uzcategui, this is a rematch of a really good fight that was a little bit overshadowed by the controversial unfortunate event that happened afterward. The fight itself was a Fight of the Year candidate.

Jermall Charlo and Hugo Centeno are two young guys in the primes of their career with only one loss between them, an interim title fight as well, and then the big one, Wilder vs. Ortiz. When we announced our first half of the year schedule, which was a loaded schedule with 11 different events and 13 world title fights, I think this fight Wilder vs. Ortiz was really the marquee matchup. Not just because of the heavyweights but because it’s such a well-matched fight.

Deontay is making his seventh and arguably his most-difficult defense of his WBC heavyweight title. It is the closest betting odds for a Wilder fight since he won the title in January of 2015, and deservedly so. Luis Ortiz is probably the division’s most-avoided fighter, a great power-puncher, a lefty, very skilled boxer and a matchup of two of the four top heavyweights in the world.

In fact, in March we will be featuring all four of the top four heavyweights in the world and all four of the major world titles: Wilder/Ortiz on March 3, bookended later by Joshua vs. Parker on March 31.

Between those two fights we will be featuring all four of the best heavyweights in the world, all four world championships and a combined record among those four fighters of 111 wins, 0 losses, 100 knockouts.

Between the two of these guys in our main event by itself, we have 67 total fights with 62 of those ending in knockout. We have a thrilling schedule for the first half of the year, a great slate of two heavyweight title fights, and I think the marquee matchup of the first half of the year, the fight everyone’s looking forward to, Wilder vs. Ortiz.

L. DiBella

Thank you so much, Stephen Espinoza really has put together an incredible slate. It’s already been announced and it’s unprecedented to have this type of schedule out there this far in advance with fans getting a consistent product like this.

Not to belabor a point but I read a comment on my Twitter feed from a fan saying that this fight card would be pay-per-view worthy. Well, I guess that that’s a compliment but I think it’s a bigger compliment to the people at SHOWTIME that this is a live tripleheader on premium cable.

This is an opportunity for people to subscribe to the best premium cable network for boxing out there if they don’t do so already and to get a card featuring a a highly competitive terrific heavyweight title matchup with two other great fights.

So we’re going to move on to the fighters now but this really is a special night of boxing on March 3. Everyone who can get to Brooklyn should be at Barclays Center for it but if not, you have the opportunity to see this on SHOWTIME.

Luis “King Kong” Ortiz, 28 and 0, 24 KOs from out of Miami, Florida now by way of Camaguey, Cuba. He won numerous titles, every Latin-related title you can win on his way up the world rankings. He was 343 and 19 as an amateur, 343 and 19. That makes him one of the greatest amateur heavyweight fighters in the history of boxing.

He’s a big guy, he’s a left-hander, he’s a power-punching left-hander and through the goodness and the desire of the heavyweight champion of the world Deontay Wilder to prove himself to be the best, Luis Ortiz – “King Kong” Ortiz – will get a chance on March 3rd to change the lives not only of his family but of his grandkids and generations to come, an opportunity to dethrone the heavyweight champion if he can do it.

It’s another opportunity after some other possible opportunities that fell through, he’s getting this chance yet again so he’s coming into this fight with these stellar credentials with all the stability and with nothing to lose. His manager Jay Jimenez will do the translating for him – but believe me I’m sure that King Kong has a lot to say, Luis “King Kong” Ortiz. Jay?

Luis Ortiz

As far as the preparation, I’m ready to go. We’re ready to go this week if we have to. As far as for the fight and for Wilder, I have no comments for him.

L. DiBella

All right, well then I’ll then turn to the heavyweight champion of the world. When he knocked-out Bermane Stiverne in their rematch on November 4th, it allows him to now say that he’s knocked-out every man he’s faced as a professional.

This is a step toward proving that he’s the best and a step toward eventual unification of the heavyweight titles if he can get past his toughest test to date so Deontay, would you like to say a couple of words?

Deontay Wilder

Good evening, everyone. Hope everybody’s having a wonderful day and a beautiful day as beautiful as mine. I just had a scrumptious meal with some sweet tea, I’m feeling good. I’m fixing to get ready to go spar and get this past week over and March 3 I’m coming to whip Luis Ortiz’ ass but I’m excited for this fight. I am so excited for this fight.

I’m glad that it’s finally here, one more week, next weekend, all the talking, all the anticipation for this fight, all the hype, all of that’s fixing to come into play next week and I’m looking forward to it. I’m looking forward to being in one of my biggest, one of my toughest fights to date and we’re going to see what happens.

I’m feeling great, camp has been going great. This is what I’ve been waiting on to prove to the world what I’ve been saying all along, that I am the best heavyweight champion in this era. I am the best heavyweight champion, period, and I’m willing to prove that not only to Luis Ortiz but to the world.

I think Luis Ortiz is a great fighter and I think this is the biggest fight that could be made at this point in time in boxing. He’s been waiting a very long time and here I come, Luiz Ortiz called me his angel because I came along, I took him under my wings, I’ve blessed him not only once but twice and I can’t keep saying that enough.

I want people to get it in their mind that I could have ran from this fight. I could have chosen any opponent that I wanted to to fight on March the 3, especially when all the other stuff went about, I could have easily gone somewhere else but no, I’m adamant about what I say, I’m confident about what I’m going to do and I’m ready to prove it to the world. So I got the perfect opponent, it’s the perfect time, it’s the perfect place.

Somebody’s ‘0’, got to go and you all already know what I come to do. I talk my talk to walk my walk. It’s going to be up to Luis Ortiz to prove me wrong. He’s got an opportunity to be the first Cuban heavyweight champion of the world. It sounds good but he got a big task in front of him. He dealing with a monster. He dealing with a guy with a killer instinct.

He dealing with a guy that ain’t afraid of not one human being on Earth, especially when you get in that jungle and I am the king of the jungle. I am the lion of the jungle. He’s never faced nobody with the pedigree with the killer instinct that I have inside of me. He’s never faced a guy that wanted to knock his head off so clean off his shoulders.

He never been in there with a guy that won’t back down, won’t budge. I can’t wait. I hope he’s sleeping good, too. I hope you’re getting all your minerals, your protein and you’re taking your medicine faithfully because March the 3rd it’s going to be a real fight. I’d like to welcome you to the real sport of boxing.

How hard is it for you to think and to focus so hard on this fight knowing that you’ve had three other fights to my count that have fallen-out because of bad drug tests. Do you allow yourself to think of that as a possibility?

D. Wilder

Yes, that could happen, that’s a possibility, we always say, once a cheat, always a cheat and that will always carry with him but that’s going to be up to Luis Ortiz. I think Luis Ortiz is a smart guy and I think he’s going to do the right thing up to this point.

If he doesn’t, like I said, it’ll be shame on him to put people through so much pain and it’s ridiculous that we have to be talking about this still at this point in time with drugs and cheating and stuff but I think he’s going to do the right thing and so with that being said, I’m not worried about it.

I have confidence in him that he’s going to turn-up clean and he’s going to give a great performance on the night of that fight and we’re all going to be winners at the end of the night.

How hard is it to have the birth of a child take place so close to the fight?

D. Wilder

Well, boxing comes first. This is my life. This is my career that we’re talking about. This is how I can afford to feed my family so nothing come above this so when coming into that involvement, I made it perfectly clear that boxing was first and boxing was last. Now we have some in the middle that we can fill but then we can do so.

They were very cooperative of what I requested and what I wanted to happen and they fulfilled their obligations with me and I did so with them. My focus is solid on Luis Ortiz. I don’t want people to mistake me doing reality show for not caring about this fight.

When Deontay Wilder’s mind is set on something, when he’s focused, nothing is going to stop me.

Deontay how do you prepare for fights mentally and how do you think that helps or hurts you?

D. Wilder

I think boxing for me is 90% mental during the duress or even 96 percent. it’s a majority mental for me more than physical. That’s why I’m able to speak and say what I’m going to do and actually deliver that because I believe in myself, I believe what I say, I believe in what I say I’m going to do.

I don’t play around. That’s the thing about it and it all comes from my mental standpoint, my mental game, mentally, emotionally, physically I am ready for this fight.

Like I said, I fought this fight 100 times and the thing about it – about this fight – out of the 100 times I done fought this fight, most days were similar but the only thing that was different out of the 100 times I done fought this fight, the ending it ended in different ways, different knockouts because I will knock him out.

It ain’t going to be a matter of time. A win is going to be a matter of time or when it lands and the fashion I do it in so mental plays a big part in what I do. That’s why I’m able to boldly speak how I speak because a lot of guys they aren’t confident in themselves.

They won’t dare speak how I speak, they won’t dare to do it because they don’t know what the outcome’s going to be on that night of that fight but with me, I know what it’s going to be because it’s up to me.

It’s not up to the crowd, it’s not up to my trainers, it’s not up to nobody but myself in that ring and we all know what when Deontay Wilder get under those lights, those cameras, I perform my best. I’m an entertainer so I can’t wait.

Luis how do you feel when people say they want to see Joshua vs. Wilder?

L. Ortiz

I have no feelings there, that fight isn’t going to happen. That fight is not going to happen.

Everybody that talks as much as Deontay loses. Brandon Rios just the other day was talking and talking and talking and talking against Danny Garcia and look what happened. None of this talk bothers me. He can talk all he wants. Deontay is trying to convince himself.

Deontay you said that it feels like I’m better off not being in this sport as being in it, I don’t understand it when it comes to all the failed drug tests your opponents have had in the past couple of fights. Do you still feel that way?

D. Wilder

So sometimes I still feel that way, but also I have to face reality as well too that these guys are going to do it. They’re going to do it and these organization makes it worse because they allow them to do it because they bring them back in without suffering any really no type of consequences behind their actions.

Makes you wonder what they doing when they taking these PEDs. Everybody wants to come-up, I understand.

Everybody want to feed their family; I understand but how can you say you a man when you take PEDs? When you cheat, when you try to do things to give you that advantage to try to get on top of the game, it doesn’t work that way.

So many champions have done it as well. We don’t know how many times these guys do it we just know the number of times that they got caught. The intention is to do it without getting caught. We try to be as smart as we can not to get caught and that’s a problem.

It’s like I can’t even be a man, I couldn’t even be a man and sit up here and allow nobody to put something in my mouth or stick needles in my arm or in my ass or wherever it goes. I couldn’t be a man and say that and I win a title and something and say I did it because no, you didn’t. You didn’t do nothing.

You cheated and that’s bottom line. It’s a touchy subject because I’ve been a clean fighter all my life. I never even thought about even taking no drugs or put in my body to make my body do something that it’s not normally supposed to do. I’m a clean fighter. I’m a fair fighter. I bring what I bring and I give you results.

I say what I’m going to do and I deliver. I give you results. I’m very confident of what I say no matter what nobody may feel or what they may say. No. I don’t have to deal with none of that because it’s already there. I’ve showed you 39 times, 39 knockouts.

This is about to be my 40th fight with 39 KOs. Yes, we may have an amateur background but that’s amateur. This is the pros and in the pros I’m more experienced. I’m a knockout artist. That’s what I come to do and that’s what I will do. I promise you that. Promise. Promise. I promise.

First question for Luis, is Deontay the toughest fighter that you’ve faced and do you have a prediction for this fight?

L. Ortiz

Absolutely not. It’s going to be a hell of a fight and somebody’s going to hit the canvas. While he keeps hyping himself and hyping himself and trying to believe in himself, it’s going to be a bad night for him. He’s talking about PEDs. I’ve taken seven tests in a month and a week, seven blood and urine tests for VADA and the New York Commission.

Bryant Jennings was the toughest fight Luis ever had.

D. Wilder

Oh lord, you can say that now because you ain’t faced me.

L. Ortiz

Well, you’re in for a hell of a problem March 3.

Deontay how have you improved since that Szpilka fight and are there any tactics you plan on using differently when facing a southpaw this time around?

D. Wilder

No, my camp has been great. I’ve had a lot of great sparring partners. I’ve even had sparring partners that have whipped his sparring partners, so that explains a lot. It’s going to be a great fight.

Szpilka was a very awkward fighter, just like myself so when you get two awkward fighters in there, it turns-out to be like that. I adapt to every fighter. I feel every fighter out. No matter how long it takes, I’ll figure you out.

Szpilka was a very awkward fighter, just as myself so when you get two awkward fighters in there, it turns-out to be like that. I feel every fighter out. No matter how long it takes, I’ll figure you out.

It’s a 12-round fight. People got to understand, people want me to be so perfect. They want me to win all the rounds, they want me to look good doing it and they want the knockout. They expect so much of me but it’s okay, because I always deliver what I say I’m going to do.

That’s the thing about me, I’m a man of my word and I have a lot of credit for being a man of my word worldwide, not just the belief part isn’t it? So with this southpaw, I can’t wait. He’s not as awkward as you think, there’s a lot of things that he does wrong, there’s a lot of mistakes that he’s making in the ring and it’s due to his long amateur experience.

That’s going to be a bad thing for him when you’re coming in the professional rankings so the fight is going to be good as it lasts and I can’t wait. They never had nobody in front of them that won’t just knock his head off like I want to do. They never had a guy in there so vicious, so mean as me, and it’s so real.

There’s nothing that I have to pretend to be. I am who I am. I am the king.

What do you think of Ortiz’ level of opposition to this point?

D. Wilder

I’ll let you be the judge of that. Ortiz has never faced nobody with my caliber. Ortiz ain’t never faced nobody with the intensity, with the mindset that I have or with the natural killer instinct that I have.

All that shit goes out the window when you get in the ring with a real one. I don’t care about all that. That ain’t nothing.

There is nothing that man’s going to do to touch me where he’s going to hurt me. I’m going to walk through all that. I’m telling you. That’s nothing. I’ve seen his style many, many, many times. I’ve fought it coming-up in the amateurs. I’ve got a lot of Cuban friends. I know their style. Trust me. And I can’t wait. That’s why I do my talking. I talk my talk so I can walk my walk.

Anybody else on the outside of the ring can’t talk the talk because they’re not going to be able to walk that green mile. His trainers, his promoters, his people around him are not going to be able to walk the green mile. Luis Ortiz is going to be the only person that’s going to be able to have to suffer the consequences and the more they talk, the more punishment that comes on him.

Everything intensifies my anticipation of knocking his head off. Keep talking.

L. DiBella

Well guys, Deontay’s going to go do some talking in the ring. He’s got to go spar right now. Jay Jimenez thank you and Luis Ortiz for being on the call. Jay, Luis is going to get an opportunity to do all his talking on March 3rd. Thanks everybody for joining us. Thank you Jay, thank you Deontay.

Robert Easter, Javier Fortuna, Marcus Browne & Adam Kownacki Media Conference Call Transcript & Audio Recording

Robert Easter, Javier Fortuna, Marcus Browne & Adam Kownacki Media Conference Call Transcript & Audio Recording

Click HERE for Audio Transcript

Lou DiBella

Thanks for joining us. Greetings from the blizzard in New York City. I know that Marcus Browne and Adam Kownacki are both local right now, so they’re experiencing this insanity with me, and I guess a lot of you are also. So we’re going to try to warm up this blizzard afternoon and talk boxing for a little bit.

Errol Spence versus Lamont Peterson, terrific fight Saturday, January 20, 2018 on SHOWTIME, 9 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT, presented by Premier Boxing Champions and of course at the beautiful Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

Tickets for the event are priced starting at 50 bucks, and they can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com, BarclaysCenter.com, the box office at Barclays Center or by calling 800-745-3000.

We have a terrific undercard, and we’re going to talk to the principals on that undercard on this call. We’re going to start with two gentlemen that are going to be in two fights that are going to start our televised evening off on SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel and SHOWTIME Boxing’s Facebook page.

Marcus Browne, 20-0, 15 KOs in Staten Island, New York, coming off a sensational knockout of Seanie Monaghan, rated Number 3 by the WBC, 7 by the WBA, 6 by the IBF, 4 by the WBO. One of the rising stars at light heavyweight, making his 12th appearance at the Barclays Center and pretty much fighting and waiting out his chance for a huge fight and a world title fight that will be coming, I think, shortly in 2018.

But first he’s got to get past the tough Francy Ntetu. Ntetu is 17-1. His only loss was at the Barclays Center in a hotly contested bout with David Benavidez, the WBC 168-pound champion. The fight was stopped very controversially. Ntetu is a legitimate guy and a guy that’s going to try to test Marcus Browne.

But in getting in the ring with Marcus Browne, he’s getting in with one of the very, very best in the world. Marcus, want to say a couple words?

Marcus Browne

Thank you guys. How you doing? Most importantly, I’m just honored to be able to continue my career on the undercard with guys like Robert Easter, Jr., Adam, myself, and a couple other young fighters.

I know Francy’s a very tough, tough live game guy and we’re prepared for that. And we’re prepared for what he brings to the table. Come January 20, I just can’t wait to go to work, show my skills and continue that march towards the world title.

This is a guy that that’s definitely going to test me. He’s definitely going to be there all night and we got to convince him to not be there. That’s the plan.

L. DiBella

Thanks Marcus. Marcus has really been one of the cogs of the BROOKLYN BOXING^®program at Barclays Center. This will be Marcus’s 12th appearance at Barclays Center. So he’s one of the fighters that’s brought the most in the building.

The other fighter on the stream telecast is one of the up-and-coming young heavyweights in the world. He’s already got a huge fan base with Polish fans and Polish-American fans. He’s got a history as a New York Golden Gloves fighter and a young fighter that’s been developed in the New York area, Adam Kownacki, 16-0, 13 KOs, out of Brooklyn.

Born in Lomza, Poland and he moved to Brooklyn with his family when he was 7-years old. Two-time Golden Gloves champion, rated Number 13 by the WBC. In his last fight, he had a sensational four-round knockout of world title challenger Artur Szpilka. That was on the same show that Marcus fought at at the Nassau Coliseum.

On the 20th of January, he’s going to take on a tough kid Iago Kiladze, Number 15 in the IBF. Kiladze is 26-1 with 18 KOs. This is really another step in the road for Adam toward a heavyweight championship opportunity. Adam?

Adam Kownacki

Thanks for the introductions Lou. I can’t wait to get back in the rings on January 20. I would say I’m very hard. I’m ready to shine and prove that I belong with the best heavyweights in the world. This fight will take me one step closer to being heavyweight champion of the world. I’ll prove it once again on January 20 that we’re ready to fight with these top-notch heavyweights. I’ll keep climbing up the ranks.

Adam, how much do you feel that your win against Szpilka kind of legitimized you in being a heavyweight contender and show people that you might be ready for a title shot?

A. Kownacki

I think I showed that I’m ready to shine at the bigger stage. It took Deontay Wilder ten rounds to take Szpilka out of there. It took me four. So that was a big statement, and I’ll continue to improve on that statement on January 20.

Obviously Deontay Wilder fights a lot at Barclays Center. It’s a place where you’ve also fought a lot. He’s probably going to fight there on March 3. But how much have you thought about the possibility of somewhere down the line maybe you challenging Deontay for the WBC title there?

A. Kownacki

My goal is to be world champion. Whoever has the title, that’s who I want. If it’s Deontay, then it’s Deontay.

Marcus, what do you know about your opponent specifically since I know you just got him secured a couple weeks ago? But what have you been able to find out about him and what he brings to the table?

M. Browne

He’s a real scrappy guy in the category of a Sakio Bika kind of. He’ll make a fight ugly if you allow him to do it. Another thing is he throws a high line of punches and he’s real crafty. He may not look like what he seems in the ring on tape.

So I’m just prepared and ready for whatever he brings that night. And I’m just ready to implement our game plan that we have in order to break him down.

Marcus, you obviously had a very good 2017 with some spectacular wins on your record. How important is it for you to kind of start this year off in a similar way and build toward a title shot later in the year?

M. Browne

It’s super important because at the end of the day this is the first actual big card of the year. I have to put the light heavyweights out there on notice that I’m here and I’m not playing.

Marcus is there one guy more than the other that you want to fight or is it just whoever gives you the opportunity to fight for the title?

M. Browne

No, no one guy more than the other. I’m just ready and willing and waiting my turn for whoever gives me the chance at fighting. And I have no picks. I ain’t got no favorites right now. It is what it is. I’m at the point where you either eat or get ate, and I’m ready to eat.

Hey Lou, can you speak on how far Marcus has come and maybe where he’s now in position to get a title shot later this year?

L. DiBella

I think when you look at the light heavyweight division there’s a tremendous demand for quality contenders, guys capable of taking on the top of the division. It’s sort of a division that’s got a little bit heavy at the top and there aren’t a lot of Marcus Brownes.

Marcus is one of the elite prospects in the division. But he’s past the point of prospects. He’s really at the point of contender right now just waiting for the biggest fight out there to materialize.

There’s some big light heavyweight fights on the horizon. Some of them I think will be announced fairly soon. I think in 2018 Marcus is going to get that huge opportunity. He deserves it because he’s really in that handful of top guys.

There are the champions and there’s like a handful of other guys out there. And those guys are all going to be competing in the next year and Marcus is going to get that opportunity. He’s also a professional. He knows he has to take care of business on January 20.

Ntetu, who’s moving up in weight for this chance, really doesn’t have anything to lose. So Marcus can’t look past that. He’s just going to go out there, do his thing. He knows that the title shot is waiting for him later this year.

Can you speak on what Adam showed in the Szpilka fight, especially getting rid of him the way that he did and kind of opening some people’s eyes in that fight?

L. DiBella

I love Adam as a fighter. I’ve always loved Adam as a fighter. He’s a tremendously skilled boxer for a heavyweight. His natural build is not like King Kong. So people look at him and they tend to underestimate them. But what he has is everything – movement, speed, power, boxing skills.

This guy’s a legitimate heavyweight contender, like not like only just a prospect. He’s a legitimate heavyweight contender, and he showed that when he wiped out Szpilka. He didn’t just beat Szpilka, he destroyed Szpilka. No one expected that kind of victory.

Artur Szpilka was a perennial top 10, 15 kind of guy in recent years and a guy that everyone viewed as a tough, rugged heavyweight, certainly a huge test for a young heavyweight. Adam didn’t only pass the test. Adam blew him out of the ring.

In my mind, a couple of more performances like that just keeping the winning track he’s on is going to earn Adam a shot at a world title, particularly with the huge following he has in the Polish and Polish-American communities and the number of people he can bring out when he does eventually challenge for a title, particularly if that bout takes place at the Barclays Center.

Against Szpilka, were you were sure that you were going to do what you did to him?

A. Kownacki

Yes, I told you that before it happened. I’m a man on a mission. That mission is becoming the first Polish, Polish-American heavyweight champion of the world. No one will stop me.

It seems like you have a killer instinct in you that no one really sees until you like get into the ring. Can you talk about that?

A. Kownacki

Yes, as humbly as I can say it, I’m blessed with the talent that God has given me with boxing. I’m trying to build on this, maximize my potential and give my family a better life. But like you said, boxing is a war zone. We put our lives on the line when we fight. So it’s me or him, and I’m just going to keep putting the pressure on guys and making them fold.

What have you heard from the Polish community since that fight? How much has that inspired you further?

A. Kownacki

A lot of doubters turned to believers. I was in Poland a month ago. The love I got there was ridiculous. I really liked that. I have to keep working hard, keep training hard and my goal is be world champion.

So I’m very focused on Iago Kiladze right now. I have to pass this next test on January 20 on my way to become world champion.

Marcus, what does it mean for you to fight in your home state?

M. Browne

At this point, being an Olympian and just being an amateur who fought in different countries, the earth is my turf. Of course it’s cool to fight in New York and it’s a plus.

But it’s annoying at the same time because people ask you for tickets and things of that nature.

So I’m just at the point in my career where I’m just blessed to have the opportunity to fight in general. Fighting in New York is great though. It’s always a great thing to come out and see your people, your family and your friends. But where I’m at in my career right now and mentally, I really don’t care where I’m fighting honestly.

Piggybacking off of Adam, we’re all on missions. His mission is to be the first Polish heavyweight champion and mine is to be the first world champion from where I’m from. We’re on that mission and nothing going to stop that. Whether it’s fighting in New York, Guam, or Dubai, it doesn’t matter.

Marcus, your last fight in Brooklyn, there wasn’t the definitive victory that you wanted. Do you want to return to Brooklyn and be more definitive than that?

M. Browne

Correct. There’s no pressure for me honestly. At the end of the day, we got the win and, everybody has their opinions and everyone’s entitled to their opinions.

But I’m just ready to go in there, implement our game plan, not put on a show for anybody, be defensively sound, be smart and take care of business and just break the tough guy down.

He doesn’t come to play. He comes to work and he’s a real live game guy. He’s not going to give you nothing so you got to take it. And that’s where I’m at with it mentally, physically and spiritually at this point in my career.

I don’t really have anything to prove to anybody. I’m going to just let my skills speak for themselves and not put pressure on myself to do anything that I don’t need to.

But wouldn’t it be nice to keep that streak going?

M. Browne

Of course. It’s always good to knock this guy out. But like the great Bernard Hopkins always told me, take them how they come because they’re all not going to be that easy. So I’m just prepared. I’m prepared for however many rounds we’ve scheduled to fight.

If a knockout comes, it comes. I’ll be implementing our game plan and setting him up and doing what I got to do. I’m not forcing any issues. Because that’s when you get caught up with lunging and fighting outside of yourself and trying to impress people.

I’m going to just stay within myself and be the best Marcus Browne on January 20. I can’t wait to fight.

L. DiBella

One other thing to clarify. You said that Ntetu had been knocked out in his last time at Barclays Center. If you watched the fight, the fight was stopped in a tremendously controversial manner that caused the SHOWTIME announcers to call it one of the strangest stoppages they’d seen. No disrespect to the winner of the fight but I would say if Marcus was able to knock out Ntetu on January 20, he’d be the first person who ever did that.

Marcus, you look really on the cusp of a major fight. If the two most likely fighters you’d fight I would assume would be Adonis Stevenson and Badou Jack. Just wondered if you could give your quick thoughts on each of those fighters.

M. Browne

Quick thoughts on each of those fighters. I’m super focused. I’m not super locked-in on Francy Ntetu at this point. I’m a fighter at heart. So I don’t see no special effects in either of those guys. Adonis is super strong. Badou is a work horse. He comes and he works.

But I don’t see any of them beating me personally. Speak to me after January 20. Then we’ll talk about it more. We can elaborate on it more, but at this point I’m focused on Francy. Those guys are definitely in my sights and I don’t really see nothing crazy impressive.

Adam, can you talk about what we can expect in the fight with Kiladze? Kiladze had been a cruiserweight up until a few years ago. How will that affect your weight and what can we expect for this fight?

A. Kownacki

Like you said, Iago was a cruiserweight. I’m a real heavyweight, so he will feel the difference in the size. I plan to be around 250 come fight day. I’m in great shape though. Sparring ten rounds easily.

I put in great work with a lot of great guys. I’m going to have Bryant Jennings come spar with me. I’ll do what I did to Szpilka, get on the W and keep proving myself.

Adam, where do you think you are in the heavyweight division? Because this year we’re going to see a lot of talk of various title fights, maybe unification fights and all of that. Where are you in the picture and what’s your timeline for getting a title shot?

A. Kownacki

I’m on top. It’s just a matter of time till I get my shot to prove it. That’s what my mind’s telling me. I think I’m the best heavyweight fighter. It’ll take fight after fight to prove it. Iago has it coming on January 20.

Do you want to make a prediction for that fight with Kiladze?

A. Kownacki

Listen, like I always say, if I don’t knock him out, then I’ll take the punishment for ten rounds.

L. DiBella

So let’s start with Robert Easter. The IBF lightweight champion 20-0, 14 KOs, proudly represents Toledo, Ohio, where he’s got a huge following. A lot of his fans travel, so Robert I know we’re going to see a lot of your fans from Toledo there at Barclays Center on January 20.

This is his return to the Barclays Center for the first time since his fifth pro fight in 2013. He won the IBF lightweight title in September ’16 in a terrific fight against very talented Richard Commey. He defended that belt twice by unanimous decision since then.

Trained by his dad Robert, Sr., and he was a U.S. Olympic Team alternate in 2012. The IBF lightweight champion of the world and one of the best young fighters of the world, Robert Easter.

Robert Easter

It’s always a pleasure to fight in Brooklyn in front of my fans on the East Coast. I have a big fan base out there. You’re going to expect the same or even greater in this fight for me. Another victory, it may come by knockout. It may come by knockout.

Do you feel like you are a little bit of a forgotten guy in your weight division and you want to wake people up to the fact that you shouldn’t be?

R. Easter

I wouldn’t actually say I’m the forgotten guy. I’m just the guy they don’t want to fight. You heard these interviews, these guys talking. They always bring up everybody else names except for mine. You cannot forget about me.

I’m tallest in the weight class, maybe the fastest and probably one of the strongest. Of course they’re not going to mention my name because they don’t want to fight me. I’ve been calling these guys out. I know they see that. So how can they not acknowledge that.

Jorge Linares and Mikey Garcia, they’re doing their thing. They’re winning these fights like champions supposed to. But it’s time we unify these titles like I’ve been trying to do.

Can you tell me from your side of things how serious that discussion about fighting Mikey Garcia was and what that was about?

R. Easter

I wanted to fight. It was serious on my side. I wanted to fight. I didn’t care where at. I don’t care about any of that. I wanted to fight.

At first it was I didn’t produce enough fans or the fight didn’t make sense, which that didn’t make sense, and some other excuses the guy came up with. But like I said, I was ready to fight whenever, whatever, how much. It didn’t even matter.

We didn’t actually get an offer. I guess they made an offer towards him. Like I said, I didn’t really care.

Do you feel like you’re just a huge favored in this fight against the smaller guy?

R. Easter

Yes. But, I’m taller than most of my opponents. That’s nothing new. Of course I’m the favorite. I’m the champion. And he’s a former world champion.

These guys haven’t faced nobody with the skills of mine so you’re going to see another great performance from me in this fight.

I would like to make the same statement I’ve been making and that’s why these guys are scared to fight me.

How much longer do you think you can hold 135?

R. Easter

I can hold it just as long as they want me to. But like I said, I’m trying to unify these titles and then move up after that until my goal is reached. For now, I’m going to be at 135, giving these guys trouble.

L. DiBella

Javier Fortuna, 33-1-1 with 23 KOs. Born in the Dominican Republic. Now lives in Braintree, Massachusetts. Promoted by the illustrious Sampson Lewkowicz and Sampson Boxing. He’s a former two-time, two-division world champion.

He was a champion at featherweight and at super featherweight. Now he’s moving up to lightweight to challenge Robert Easter, Jr. So translator, if you could ask Javier to say a few words please.

Javier Fortuna

Good afternoon. God bless everyone. I’m very happy and fortunate that Robert Easter gave him the opportunity to fight for the world title. Nevertheless, it will be the end of his reign. I know he has his fans. He’s a champion. My goal is to become world champion again.

If you win this fight here against Fortuna, do you think it’s realistic that some of the other guys will give you the chance?

R. Easter

When I win this fight. I don’t know. I’ve been calling these guys out for a while. It’s kind of up to them. I’ve been sitting back, taking these mandatory fights and fights that really don’t make sense like unifying the titles will.

Hopefully all the champions meet up and fight. So when I win this fight, hopefully.

If you aren’t going to get the chance to fight one of the other 135 guys, is it possible that you go up to 140 for your next fight?

R. Easter

I don’t know. We’re going to sit back and talk to my camp and we’re going to see what’s the best move after that.

Looking at Fortuna, he’s obviously a leftie, is there anything that you have to do training-wise or that you have done training-wise in preparation for him?

R. Easter

I’ve been facing left-handers my whole career, amateur and pro. I have to make a few adjustments. That’s what professionals do when they get in the ring. That’s why I really don’t study tapes or nothing because they might not fight you the same as what they fought the last person or how they fought an orthodox fighter.

So it’s all about making adjustments once you get in that ring. Whenever I’m in the gym I always give it 110% and I always train till I ain’t got no more left in the gym.

When you’re looking at this fight going into it, what’s the thing more than anything else that you want to gain from fighting Fortuna?

R. Easter

Just keep putting on like I’ve been putting on. He’s going out there making these statements, telling people that “I can’t be beat.” Not only him but these other fighters. As you can see, none of the champions are heading my way, so obviously I’m doing something right.

Do you get a sense maybe the Mikey Garcia fight might not happen for you because he doesn’t necessarily want it for one reason or another?

R. Easter

I’m sensing that. But if both camps come to agreement, I’m hoping we can face off one day – not only Mikey though. You still have Jorge. You still have him. He’s still a champion as well.

Are you looking at it may be like if Garcia decides to stay at 140 pounds that the Linares fight is a fight that you could make for your next fight assuming you win on January 20 also?

R. Easter

Of course. It doesn’t matter if he stayed or he didn’t. I still wanted that fight. Like I said, I’ve been ready to unify these titles for so long. I’ve been sitting back waiting not only on Mikey but the other champions. Flanagan, he has moved up. And now we have Linares.

What do you think of Linares from what you’ve seen from him?

R. Easter

He’s a crafty fighter, fast, moves a lot, but nothing I haven’t seen before. He’s nothing special I haven’t seen before.

Fortuna’s obviously said a lot of things over the last week or so about knocking you out and the referee’s going to have to save you and things like that. What do you make of it?

R. Easter

Those are things he’s supposed to say. He’s supposed to hype himself up, and he’s supposed to hype the fight up. But he and his camp knows the truth. They know what they’re getting themselves into. I don’t really have to trash talk. My work is done in the ring. January 20 we’re all going to see that.

Javier what do you think about Easter and why do you thinks it’s a fight that you’lll be able to win by knockout, maybe some of the flaws or whatever you feel are weaknesses that Robert has?

J. Fortuna

So of course he’s a tall fighter but it’s also very convenient to me. I feel that he won’t be able to hold my punches, the power of them. In this fight I’ll come more focused than any other fight.

I want to tell Easter that hopefully, there’s no excuses with him or his camp. I want the best Easter that could possibly come to fight.

Robert what’s your response to that?

R. Easter

Like I said, he’s supposed to hype himself up. I never have made excuses in the ring. My record is perfect. I’m doing what I’m supposed to do, and I’m winning these fights. He’s trying to get where I’m at. He’s trying to get another shot which is going to fail coming January 20.

Like I said, he’s supposed to hype himself up. All this talk, I don’t get into none of that. Everybody has a game plan till they get hit.

Javier you’re viewed as an underdog in this fight. How much has that motivated you?

J. Fortuna

That does motivate me much more. It gives me the opportunity to concentrate that much more. I’ve been the underdog a few times. Like the Omar Douglas fight, I surprised everybody in his hometown.

I would have liked for this fight to be in Ohio. That would have been much better for me because I perform better under pressure.

What do you think of Robert’s last couple of fights?

J. Fortuna

I figure he’ll be a little better now because if he comes the way he fought his last fight, he won’t reach the fifth round. He’s got to reinvent himself because if he doesn’t, he won’t go far.

So Robert do you think that this is just hyping the fight, or do you feel he has the power to knock you out?

R. Easter

Of course they’re just hyping the fight. He has had power in the lower weight classes. But like I said, all that goes out the window once you get hit. Once he gets hit by what I’m bringing, then all that talking is going to go out the window.

He hasn’t faced nobody with the skills I have. He’s been knocked out for one. He’s telling me I got to reinvent myself. He has to reinvest himself. You know, that’s why he’s trying to become a champion again as you said. You know, so I’m already a champion. I’m already in the shoes he wants to be in.

January 20 we’re going to put the gloves on. We’re going to get in that ring and I’m going to come out victorious like I’ve been doing.

Do you feel that you can put together an offer to those other parties like Garcia and Linares to bring the fight to your hometown where you are popular?

R. Easter

That’s just a lame excuse to say when I fight, I don’t produce enough fans. What does Lipinets do? No disrespect to him, but come on now. Everybody knows that is not true.

I have fans all over. My fan base is big, and it doesn’t matter we if we fought in a room with nobody. It shouldn’t even matter to both parties, is the money good and the contract’s good, then we should fight. I wouldn’t care about fighting in front of nobody because I know what I’m going to do.

When it comes specifically to the Mikey Garcia fight, is there maybe something personal there because of your promotion/affiliation with About Billions and Broner having that last fight with Mikey? What is it that you see or seem that you feel that you can do better than your big bro?

R. Easter

This has nothing to do with AB. This has everything to do with Mikey being a champion at 135 and Jorge Linares being a champion at 135. It’s time to unify.

If I was that much of an easy fight for them, the fight would have been made. After the offer they gave Mikey, it would have been made. It just didn’t make sense. I don’t make no excuses. I’m coming to fight and they know that.

Do you think that maybe Robert is overlooking you and can you capitalize on that?

J. Fortuna

I’m just trying to get in position to fight Garcia. January 20 there will be history made in Dominican Republic because from what Easter said about me being knocked out, that never happened to me. I’ve been hurt but that never happened to me, so he got to look out for that.

So can you just express to us how comfortable you’re going to feel at 135?

J. Fortuna

I’m going to be super good at 135 because I am very close to weight and I’ve made that weight a few times already in the last couple fights. I feel a lot stronger and a lot more prepared for this fight.

Robert, just wondering if you can talk about your connection to your fans in Toledo and if you expect a good turnout at Barclays Center?

R. Easter

My connection to my hometown fans, my fans is important. I try to respond to almost each and every person who reaches out. People be so amazed that I do say something back on Twitter or Instagram or Snapchat.

All my fans is real, especially my hometown fans. They love traveling to see me fight because they know where I come from. We all grew up together. I’m first hand here.

I’m one of the only things they got that’s still here, that’s hands on with them. So they come and show support. I love that they always step out whenever they know I’m fighting.

You had good offensive performances in your last three fights but couldn’t get a stoppage. So Javier is a very tough opponent but I’m just wondering if you’re gunning for a knockout, if you’re motivated to try to get back on the knockout track?

R. Easter

Shafikov was a tough opponent. Richard Commey was a tough opponent. Cruz is tough. All these guys are tough. We’re preparing. We’re making adjustments in the ring. And if a knockout comes, it comes.

I’m not going to shoot for a knockout, but I know I’m going to set something up to where I can knock him out. But like I said, if it comes, it comes. But ain’t no way he’s going to beat me. He knows that. His camp knows that.

Javier I’m just wondering why type of sparring you’re doing in preparation for this, if you’re fighting bigger guys? If so, what weight classes they’re coming from? Because there really aren’t many guys at 135 who are that tall.

J. Fortuna

All the fighters that are helping me out sparring they’re 135, 140 and they’re part of my team.

I understand what Robert is saying that he’s more skillful but he can have more skill. He could have whatever he thinks he have. But he’s not going to have my will to win. The only way I can demonstrate it is in the ring.

L. DiBella

I think that’s right and we’re going to get the answer in the ring when champion Robert Easter takes on the challenge of Javier Fortuna. I think we’ve done enough talking for a snowy Thursday afternoon. Thanks everybody for joining us. Robert, thank you. Thank you, Javier. We’ll see you both fight week. And thanks everybody in the press.

Once again, tickets are on sale Barclays Center box office, Ticketmaster.com, BarclaysCenter.com. We hope everybody joins us at the Barclays Center on January 20 for a great night of boxing presented by Premier Boxing Champions.

And if they can’t be there, SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING starting at 9:00 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT with the earlier bouts featuring Marcus Browne and Adam Kownacki to take place on SHOWTIME’s Facebook page stream and SHOWTIME’s YouTube channel. So I look forward to seeing everybody fight week and brave the storm.

Floyd Mayweather Media Conference Call

Floyd Mayweather Media Conference Call Transcript & MP3

Click
HERE for Audio Recording

Kelly Swanson

Thank you operator. Thanks to everybody for joining in. From the World Tour to Fight Week, we are days away from a really, really big event. Floyd Mayweather versus Conor McGregor.

I’m going to first introduce the participants on the call today. Of course we have the one and only Floyd Mayweather joined by Leonard Ellerbe, CEO of Mayweather Promotions, and Stephen Espinoza,
Executive VP and General Manager of SHOWTIME Sports. At this time I’ll turn it over to Leonard Ellerbe to begin the call.

Leonard Ellerbe

Thank you, Kelly. I would like to thank everyone for joining this call today. We have a great event next Saturday and we’re excited. I just want to remind everyone on the call, this is the widest
distributed pay-per-view ever. The fans can get this event however, whenever. We have a ton of content out there, and it’s available to fans wherever and however they want to get it.

In addition to our normal, traditional methods that we distribute our platform on including via satellite, cable and telco providers, we also have a variety of digital options. You can order now.
You can go to ShowtimePPV.com, or if get the Showtime PPV app, and it’s also available through Sony PlayStation, Xbox, Apple TV and Roku.

So without further ado, I would like to bring on our partner Stephen Espinoza.

Stephen Espinoza

Thanks, Leonard. We have indeed worked very hard to make this fight available as widely as possible using the maximum distribution and the maximum availability, including UFC platforms, UFC.TV,
the movie theaters, closed circuit. There’s really no excuse for not watching this fight.

This is an event that transcends sports. It’s captured the world’s attention. We’re seeing unprecedented interest in a number of different ways, surpassing what we never expected to surpass in
the Mayweather-Pacquiao event. This is the final fight of a once-in-a-generation talent. It’s truly a once-in-a-lifetime event, the two best combat sport fighters in the world facing off like we’ve never seen them before.

In Conor, we’ve got someone who’s as unpredictable as any opponent that Floyd has ever faced, both in and out of the ring, and it’s a challenge to Floyd on a whole new level. We’re supporting this
matchup with three high-quality matchups from Mayweather Promotions, two world title fights headlined of course by one of my personal favorites as fan, Gervonta Davis, the US’s youngest world champion defending his title. We also have the light heavyweight
world championship and an all-action opening fight as well.

Last point. We are encouraging fans to buy early. There will be unprecedented activity on fight day. Very possible that we’re exceeding Mayweather-Pacquiao. We certainly are seeing activity which
is far in excess of that. I know all of you guys have heard that before, but to give you some specifics, when we post things, we’re seeing things in the millions of views. When we do a Snapchat story and within 48 hours it’s at 4.5 to 5 million views, we know
we have an unprecedented event. And in order to avoid the rush, we are reminding people to buy early as much as possible.

L. Ellerbe

Thank you, Stephen. So without further ado ladies and gentlemen, none other than the “money man” himself, Floyd Mayweather.

Floyd Mayweather

Hey everybody. I want to say thanks for having me on this call and I want to thank you guys for writing about me for the last 21 years and keeping me relevant. Without the writers and the people
that support this event and throughout my whole career I wouldn’t be where I’m at.

So I just want to say, to every writer that’s on this phone, to every blogger that’s on this phone, I just want to say thank you. I appreciate you, Mayweather Promotions appreciates you, SHOWTIME
appreciates you, CBS appreciates you, MGM Grand appreciates you, Swanson Communications appreciates you, my team and my family and my, everybody appreciates the stories and all the bloggers, the sports writers and everyone. We just want to say thank you and
now we can get on with the questions.

Do you spend any time thinking about how this is the last camp, this is going to be the last weigh-in or do you think back at all the to the start of your career?

F. Mayweather

Actually I thought that Andre Berto was going to be the last weigh-in, I thought that was going to be the last training camp, I mean just honestly speaking I thought that was going to be my last
everything. You just don’t ever know what can happen. We’re here with this big event.

This is my last one, ladies and gentlemen. I gave my word to Al Haymon, I gave my word to my children, and one thing I don’t want to do is break that. I’m going to stick to my word. This will be
my last fight.

What was the really seminal moment for you that really turned the tide and got everyone’s attention for you? Was it more like aligning with Al Haymon and following the plan that both of you guys
laid out?

F. Mayweather

Al Haymon and I joined forced because when Al Haymon saw me he saw not just a fighter but a person with a sharp mind, very articulate, and very smart, and not just in the ring but outside the ring
and he knew that we could be a powerful force together.

Now once again, when I fought Diego Corrales, I did good numbers. When I fought Angel Manfredy, I did good numbers. And the list before I even got to Haymon, I did good numbers. But me and Haymon
together came together and had a game plan, whereas when I was dealing with people in the past, nobody ever really had game plan. I had a game plan. We already had a game plan. Me and Leonard both had a game plan, but it was missing a piece. So when we all
came together as one, that’s when I came up with a game plan and they started putting everything into play.

Also after this fight, how do you think you’re going to spend your life? I know you got Mayweather Promotions, but what else are you going to be involved in and what are you going to be doing as
the days pass?

F. Mayweather

My real estate portfolio is truly amazing. The real estate, that’s very, very huge. That’s a huge part of my life. My children are going to college so that’s going to take up a lot of my time because
education is extremely important in my home.

I want my kids to do something that I wasn’t able to do. I want them to be able to go college, and then the businesses that I leave for them, I want them to be able to take those businesses and
take them to the next level. If I took a business and made 100 million, I want them to take it to the next level to make 400 or 500 million. So it’s all about giving back. I’ve built different businesses and got businesses started so my children’s children
can takeover someday.

S. Espinoza

I think a critical turning point in Floyd’s career was buying himself out of the Top Rank contract. That is going out on a limb, paying $750,000 with no guarantees on what’s going to happen on
the other side of that. Without the courage to make that move, without the foresight to make that move, none of the rest of this possible. It’s easy to sit back and forget that it all starts with taking risk. No one has this level of success without taking
a risk, and that’s one very tangible point where Floyd put his money where his mouth is, took the risk and was able to reap the rewards.

What weight class do you believe that you were at your absolute best in and why?

F. Mayweather

Well I think it all depends on certain fights. You look at the Diego Corrales fight. There was a lot of people talking about that one. And at 135, the fight against Phillip Ndou. People like to
talk about that as one of their favorite fights. At 140 they like to talk about the fight against Arturo Gatti because I really wasn’t at 140 at that moment.

And then at 147, they like to talk about the fight against Ricky Hatton. And at 154 they say it was a hell of a fight between me and Miguel Cotto. Then they also talk about how I was dominant at
154 against Canelo. I guess different days go different ways when you go out there and compete. I don’t want to judge myself, I just want to say that, different days I feel different ways. It all depends on how I feel
when I go out there. Because some days I don’t feel up to par but I still go out there and I put on a hell of a show. Some days I go out there and feel great and the show is really not that good.

For which fight would you say that this is the best Floyd Mayweather there’s ever been?

F. Mayweather

I can’t really say. I don’t even watch the fights because it’s hard for me to watch. It could be any of my top fights that people say that they love the most, but I say I could’ve been better. I could have done that better because I’m critical of myself and
I feel like there’s never been enough. When I go out there and compete, I could’ve done something better, I could’ve been better. So, it’s good to not even watch it. My older son, both my boys, not my youngest daughter, but my three oldest, they love to going
on YouTube and watching it.

Was there one fight in your mind that, even though you got the victory, that maybe you were disappointed in your performance?

F. Mayweather

There have been a few fights where I probably said yes, I won, but that wasn’t my best. But I come back and I look better the next time. I look at lot better the next time.

What do you expect the atmosphere and the level of crown support to be like on the night and how do you think that will be divided between yourself and him?

F. Mayweather

That really doesn’t have anything to do with the crowd. It has something to do with the two competitors. It could be pro-McGregor, it could be pro-Mayweather. It’s all about excitement, it’s all about giving everybody excitement, my fans as well as his fans,
that’s what it really is about. I want to touch on the subject so everybody knows, that me and Ricky Hatton actually fought at 147, but we fought in 10 ounce gloves. So, I was going to make sure everybody on the phone is aware when me and Ricky Hatton fought
against each other, we wore 10 ounce gloves and was at 147 pounds.

How often have you used the 8 ounce gloves and how often the 10 ounce gloves?

F. Mayweather

Well, from 147 all the way down the boxing weights, you fight in 8 ounce gloves. From 154 that all the way to heavyweight, you fight in 10 ounce gloves. At one time boxing there was a lot of trauma and head injuries, so they brought 10 ounce gloves in for the
fights to wear at 147. But then they went back. The guess that they weren’t getting the blood, sweat and tears they were expecting to get, so they had to go back to the guys wearing 8 ounce gloves at 147 all the way down.

I was just wondering how closely that you followed what happened this weekend in Charlottesville with the protest and if you have any thoughts on it and the president’s reaction to it?

F. Mayweather

I’ve honestly been extremely, extremely busy, so I haven’t even been on social media or been watching TV. I’ve been extremely busy training, working out and just spending time a lot of time with my daughter. But I’ve seen some things, and what’s going down
in Charlottesville, it’s not cool. It’s not cool at all. I always talk about the world needs to be a more positive place. I didn’t really hear what the president said. I’ve been so focused on this event, it’s so huge.

I was curious if you’ve seen the video that was released of Conor’s sparing session with Paulie Malignaggi and what you thought of that, even though it was only about 20 seconds.

F. Mayweather

I had a chance to see it. And my thought is that I think it was really interesting, but with a lot of rabbit punching; a lot of illegal rabbit punching behind the head. A lot of
grappling, a lot of wrestling, a lot of illegal shots. That’s just my honest opinion. I’m pretty sure the referee is going to be fair on both sides. I just want a good solid fight.

Did you believe he got the knockdown on Paulie based on the video we saw?

F. Mayweather

Some some may call it a knockdown; some may not call it a knockdown. But at the end of the day, it only counts once you get under the lights, that’s just in a gym. We sit here judging Paulie, a guy that’s been retired and just commentating and traveling the
world and not going to the gym at all, instead of going in there with a guy who is just working out, an athlete period, just working out every day.

I wanted to get your assessment of the referee and do you think he will play a part in the fight at all?

F. Mayweather

I truly believe the ref is going to do his job. The referee’s job is to make sure that he’s keeping the bout clean. I want to have a good fight. Like I said on numerous occasions going up to this fight, I’m coming straight ahead. So, he doesn’t have anything
to worry about. I look forward to following the rules of boxing. I’m pretty sure he looks forward to following the rules of boxing. He had Joe Cortez in his training camp which is a great thing. Even though he had Joe Cortez in his training camp, I still see
him doing extremely dirty things. But my job is not to worry about the referee, my job is to go out there and fight and let the referee do his job.

L. Ellerbe

Let me add on to that. We’re very pleased with the selection of all the officials that we have for the entire card for August the 26^th, with the referees included. The Nevada State Athletic Commission is the best commission out there, and they have
the best officials in place and we’re very happy.

Obviously you’ve fought in 8 ounce gloves, but do you think that favors you or Conor more the fact that they dropped the gloves to 8 ounces? Or how do you think that really affects the outcome of this fight?

F. Mayweather

I’m not really worried about the outcome. I’m worried more about excitement. Conor said he’s used to fighting in 4 ounce gloves. If you go to my social media page, you’ll see where I put out the extra work. I want to make him feel comfortable as possible. I’m
not going to have any excuses. I don’t want him to have any excuses.

How has the process of training and recovery changed as you’ve aged?

F. Mayweather

It’s not really the same. I think with age comes wisdom. It’s about just knowing your body.

When I was younger and I talked about this Media Day, you’re young, it’s fight, fight, fight; never let the body recoup or rejuvenate. Whereas I’m older now, so resting is very, very, very important.

I work extremely hard still at the age of 40, but I’m letting the body rest a lot more. And that’s why, you guys saw on All Acces I was taking time. I have a whole team that helps me keep my body intact and in order.

How much do you really believe what you said about losing a step and how much are you saying that to generate interest in the fight?

F. Mayweather

Well I’m just being honest. I don’t think that I’m the same Floyd Mayweather that I was ten years ago; I’m not even the same Floyd Mayweather that I was five or two years ago. But I still said that I still have a high IQ in
that ring. And I said experience-wise, it leans towards me, just period.

Most times when I go out there and compete against any fighter, experience will always lean towards me becauseI’ve been in the ring and been at such a high level for so long.

How do you feel that press and fans treat you and McGregor differently and do you believe that race plays any role in that?

F. Mayweather

I’m not even going to really touch on that anymore; I spoke on that. I’m going to leave it where I left that. You know, I spoke about that before. I’m going to let Leonard Ellerbe touch on that subject.

L. Ellerbe

The things that he was saying about the back-and-forth banter, it’s trash talk. Floyd’s focus is fighting next week and putting on a great performance for all the fans across the world. That’s where we are at.

There are double standards out there. But that goes on with anything. There is a high awareness out there in the public, there’s a lot of things that go on. Floyd’s focus is next Saturday and going out there and putting on an
electrifying performance in front of his fans; that’s where we’re at.

Do you see anything of you in McGregor when you’ve spoken and been a few feet away from each other?

F. Mayweather

I don’t think there’s any fighter period that’s in combat sports right now that hasn’t looked at a Floyd Mayweather video or studied a Floyd Mayweather fight. At least I don’t think so because I think there’s like a Mayweather
era and I will still look down in my era.

When a person has been so dominant in his era, I think other fighters are going to pay attention. The main fighters are going to pay attention because they want to be at that same level and they want to do the same thing. They
want to dominate with ease.

Do you see anything in the past between you and him — when you’ve kind of interacted — any similarities at all?

F. Mayweather

Not really. Of course I’m huge in boxing, but I’m huge in MMA also. I’m huge in both in the sense that my name is huge in MMA. I made a crazy name in the sport of boxing, but it’s crazy that I’ve been working so hard throughout
the years that I ended up having a big name in MMA also. So even though I never competed in MMA, I’m still a big name in MMA.

Given the point you are both on now, who is taking the bigger risk here?

F. Mayweather

I truly believe I’m taking the bigger risk. But it’s a big reward for both. I have the 49-0 record. When a fighter has lost before, if he loses again, they say, “Oh, it’s nothing. He’s lost before.” But when a fighter has been
dominating for 20-some years — never lost — everything is on the line; my legacy, my boxing record — everything is on the line.

have you stopped at any point and kind of thought, “wow, there is a whole lifetime’s work here that I am putting out there.” Or do you kind of not let it enter your mind?

F. Mayweather

I just try and really focus on being positive. I just worry about going out there and doing what I do best.

I try not to think about losing or taking an L, that’s really not my focus.

Every day I tell myself I’m a winner. I was born to be a winner at life. Not just in the ring, but I was born to be a winner. So whatever I do, I try to give it 100% and I try to push my limit.

But like Stephen said, it’s all about taking risk. I wouldn’t be where I’m at if I didn’t take risk. So I don’t mind putting the 49 and 0 record on the line. I don’t mind putting everything on the line, for this fight. I feel
like it’s worth it.

How important it is for you to get the 50^th victory of your career and give you one more than the Rocky Marciano record?

F. Mayweather

I don’t focus on other fighters. But I’m appreciative for every fighter that paved the way for me to be where I’m at.

I always talk about how I appreciate the legendary fighters. My focus is to go out there and give the fans an exciting fight even though I know this is number 50 and we’re constantly talking about Rocky Marciano.

I just always like to let the fans and the people know Rocky Marciano is a legend. Rocky Marciano did it his way, and I would just like to try to do it the Mayweather way.

K. Swanson

Okay, thanks to everybody for joining us. Any last closing comments, Floyd, and we will wrap this up.

F. Mayweather

I just want to say thank you to everybody. I want to say thank you Leonard, I want to thank SHOWTIME, I want to thank CBS. I want to thank Kelly Swanson, I have to thank Al Haymon. And I want to thank everybody that called in
— all the writers, all the bloggers, everyone from the MMA world, everybody from the boxing world, everybody from the sports world. I just really want to say thank you. Me and my team, we all appreciate you guys. Talk to you

Conor McGregor Media Conference Call

Conor McGregor Media Conference Call Transcript & MP3

Click
HERE for Audio Recording

Matt Radmanovich

Thank you everyone for joining. Today we’ll actually be breaking this conference call in two, with UFC President Dana White joining us in the second half of the call. But first, we have joining us a fighter many people call the greatest mixed martial artist
in the world. Already a two division champion in the UFC, who has taken on the best in his sport, “The Notorious” Conor McGregor leaves the octagon behind now for him to step into the ring and again, make the impossible possible. Challenging an icon of boxing,
the undefeated 49-0 Floyd “Money” Mayweather, this will be his toughest test yet.

Can Conor shock the world? We’ll all find out August 26th live from the T-Mobile Arena in the fight capital of the world, Las Vegas, Nevada. Without further ado, I turn the call over to your questions for the notorious Conor McGregor.

I wanted to get your reaction today to the ruling that the Nevada State Athletic Commission made that will allow the request that you and Floyd made, to reduce the size of gloves from 10 ounces to 8 ounces. Can you give me your thoughts about that ruling?

Conor McGregor

I’m very happy with how the Nevada State Athletic Commission handled it. I think they handled it fairly – they listened to both requests and just the overall approach to the decision and the referees, the judges, I think they were very fair throughout. So
that was a good thing for me to see that they’re taking into consideration both fighters’ requests and I’m very happy with it.

What was your specific reason for wanting the smaller gloves?

C. McGregor

You’ve got pros and cons on both sides. You’ve got both athletes asking for the request. And then you’ve got me also coming up in ounces from what I’m used to. I know some in the media are like oh no, it’s 10, it’s 8, but hey, look what I fight with. I
fight in 4 ounce gloves, fingerless gloves. The knuckles are barely covered in what I am used to, so it benefits both in certain ways and I’m very happy with it.

What kind of gloves will you wear in the fight; what brand?

C. McGregor

You know, we’re still in discussion with that, so we’ll see in a little bit.

I wanted to know might there be two or three things that people don’t know about you that hasn’t been written before?

C. McGregor

Oh wow. I don’t know. What you see with me is what you get. I am the same person on and off the camera. A lot of people like to say I’m not. Obviously there are different moments. You’ll catch me against an opponent, I’m a little different but I portray
myself as who I am. So what you see is what you get with me. And there have been many articles, many stories, many things written, but it’s been okay I suppose. It’s just I am who I am. I speak the truth for what I believe and people portray that in many
ways. So I’m pretty open and what you see is what you get with me.

Is there anything like you like to cook, maybe any other hobbies – changing diapers now lately?

C. McGregor

Yes. I’m razor quick with the diaper changes. Right now I have a nutritionist who’s been with me for this time, bringing in the weight. So the cooking is out the window, my son has been living with me since, it must be three months now. We’ve had one hell
of a camp. It’s been one long stretch. A lot of hard, hard work. A lot of dedicated and focused work and then of course the nutrition has been top of the range, and that’s why I’m at peak physical condition at this moment, ten days out. Now we are closing
in on the weight cutting phase, and then we weigh-in and we fight. So that’s about it. I’m by the book.

How have you approached the challenge of possibly going 12 rounds in this fight?

C. McGregor

We’ve adjusted to the timing in my cardiovascular preparation. On the endurance phases we’ve stretched it out to accommodate the 12 three minute rounds. It’s actually been very enjoyable to go from five, five minute rounds which is what I’m used to, which
is 25 minutes, to 12 threes in boxing, which is 36 minutes. You’ve got to factor in there’s not as much grabbing, but not to the extent of a mixed martial arts bout where you can end up on your back and you’ve got to tactically work your way back to your
feet, which is very draining.

But it’s a different kind of cardiovascular training. So we have adjusted some things and I feel absolutely amazing. I’ve done multiple 12 round fights in the buildup for this. I’ve done 12 rounds just last night. We are more than prepared. Myself and
my training team have formulated the McGregor fast program. This is a cardiovascular training program that we formulated after I suffered my first defeat in the UFC to Nate Diaz. We formulated it for the Diaz 2 rematch. And even a triathlete with a big
weight advantage, much bigger man and can go for days, that’s what he specializes in.

He has an unrivaled gas tank. So we had to come up with a special formula and a special method to train. And that’s what we’ve done. We created the McGregor fast program and I’ve been on that since about a week after that first loss. And since then I’ve
had I believe two bouts under that and now this will be the third one. So I’ve been on this program over a year now and you’ll see the results. I mean to be able to go from 5 fives to 12 threes and we’ve done it pretty seamlessly as well, I’m very proud
of it and I’m very excited to go in and represent the McGregor fast program on August 26th as well.

I’m wondering if you see a difference between how fans treat you and Floyd and whether you think race plays any role in that.

C. McGregor

How many times have I been slayed by people? It’s give and take here. I get my fair share of hate and my fair share of love also. I believe it’s 50/50. I mean look at every boxing analyst. It’s like I’ve been discarded and it’s like I’m not welcome. I’ve
suffered as well, so it is what it is. For me, this is athlete versus athlete. I was upset that Floyd tried to bring this in. I thought that was a weak move on his part. And he knows and his people truly know that it’s not from me, not that I’m saying that
there’s not people on both sides that have this mindset where it’s black versus white and this type of thing.

But it’s certainly something I do not condone. This is athlete versus athlete and two prime physical condition athletes about to take part in an amazing event and that’s it on my end. So I’m disappointed to hear the way sometimes it’s been portrayed, but
I suppose it’s just the nature of the game with the way things are going on in the world at the moment. But all I can do is stay focused on my craft and look to go out and put on a great performance for the fans who are supporting this event, as a whole.

What do you make of some of boxing circles being so dismissive of this fight? Is that something that motivates you?

C. McGregor

It’s certainly motivating. The disrespect and the disregard to my skill set is disappointing. I look at people so many times and their mind is closed. They’ve got a closed mind to how things can be done. It’s a set way and there’s no other way. Where if
that was the case we’d never have reached across the waters and searched for other lands. And we’d never have went into space. Do you know what I mean? You’ve got to have an open mind and you’ve got to realize that there are other ways and there is a time
and a place for every single moment.

You’ve got to give respect for other disciplines and other styles. Like for instance, fighting is a complex game. There is a time and a place for every single attack and every single move. It’s about finding the correct timing for it. So when I hear the
way they carry on and they disregard and disrespect, it is what it is. I use it as motivation and I look forward to going in and educating them. But at the same time I get it. I’m coming in; I’m supposed to be from another sport and so again, I understand
where it’s at. But I’m just looking forward to August 26th, going in and proving what I’m saying and then educating the world on what martial arts are and giving the fans and everybody a good solid fight and earning my respect in this game also.

In UFC you can’t always wear personal sponsors, logos and endorsements like that. Are you looking forward to that? What do you have planned endorsement wise for August 26th?

C. McGregor

Yes. I’ve got a couple of endorsements coming up. And then as far as an apparel deal, we’re close on an apparel deal. But at the same time, I’m in no rush. I’ve got good endorsement deals. As far as in ring endorsements, there are two that will be on the
shorts I believe. Look, there are so many moving parts in the game. I’m just kind of trying to roll with it. And look, it’s ten days from the fight time so I leave this to my agency and my management agency. I rely on sports management to handle that side
of the business, but it is certainly a good business, so I’m very happy with everything that’s been going on, on the endorsement side.

I just wondered how your preparation and also the buildup kind of outside around you, has differed from your big UFC fights and whether that’s affected your preparations at all.

C. McGregor

Oh, look it’s another day for me. It’s another day of making history. It’s another day of doing what I’ve been told I shouldn’t be doing or I can’t do. It’s another mega blockbuster event. It’s nothing new to me here. So the only difference in this buildup
is I have a little son now with me. So we are here in Las Vegas as a family and my coaches and sparring partners and team, they have their multiple houses close by. So it’s just been – I go to the gym and I train really hard for that given day. I come home,
I rest and chill with my family and then I repeat.

And then the media and the circus around it, it’s business as usual. It’s the exact same.

Do you believe Floyd and what he has said about a rematch? Specifically on Jimmy Kimmel

C. McGregor

Yes. I didn’t watch – I didn’t hear the Jimmy Kimmel bit – but I got some snippets of it that someone sent – I got tagged in some stuff, but I didn’t really hear much of what he said. As far as what he said on the world tour, he said he would step into the
octagon. If he would do that he would have my respect. Anyone that’s willing to step into a game like that where the limitations are so short, deserves respect. And that’s at all levels whether it’s at club level in a small hall, or a big stadium, it’s
still full of fans. If you get into that game or any combat sport game for that matter. I’ll be here to grant him his rematch.

But right now we’re focused on putting him away August 26th and then we’ll see what happens after that. I also have multiple world titles to defend inside the Ultimate Fighting Championship. And we’ll see. Maybe he can come over and after he gets his ass
whooped, he can try and challenge for my lightweight belt.

I wondered whether your mindset has changed toward anything he’s done or anything that’s happened in the buildup has made you more confident?

C. McGregor

I think the team I have around me has instilled confidence in me. And we have a solid team. It’s been a growing team and an adjusting team throughout my career. And I think we just understand how it’s done and how it’s done correctly. And training has gone
absolutely flawless. Everyone has a say; everyone listens to each other. Everyone’s input is there and then we come to the best solution off of everyone’s input and it’s just been an absolute amazing camp.

The other night we were in the altitude chamber at like 13,000 feet at the Ultimate Fighting Championship Performance Institute and it was a scary training session. There’s no way in hell that I am not ready to fight in the deepest of trenches in this contest.
Like the training sessions and the practice that we’ve been putting in, has been to hell and back. So we are prepared for every possible outcome. I believe now the gloves are 8 ounces, I don’t believe he makes it out of the second round. I have multiple
first round KOs and I have multiple under one minute KOs on my record.

So part of me kind of wants to show some skill and to dismantle him that way. But I do not see it – I do not see him absorbing the blows in the first two rounds. But we are ready for absolutely every scenario. I’m ready to go to war for the full 12 rounds
and I’m ready to put him away in the first ten seconds. So that’s where my head’s at.

Floyd has worn eight ounce gloves in 46 out of his 49 fights. So for that reason, was there any consideration on your part, to wear 10 ounce gloves, just to inconvenience his side?

C. McGregor:

No. Not at all. I mean I said that doesn’t bother me. Again, I’m – I was already up six ounces from four to ten, so it’s down a little bit from ten to eight, so how often he’s worn the gloves never factored into it. I didn’t even know that for instance,
so that didn’t factor into my thoughts at all. I do not care about his record. I do not care about his achievements. Every fight is on a fight by fight basis. So that’s the way we approach it.

Was Robert Byrd the referee that you asked for? And what do you think that he will bring to this fight? Are you happy with it?

C. McGregor

They gave us options. We didn’t necessarily ask for any referee in particular. There was a referee or two that gave an opinion on the fight and it was like a little bit, if that’s the case then it’s very hard for them to be considered. So that was where
we were at with it. And then the referee – I mean we were kind of hoping there was like a mix between an MMA – someone who had some link to an MMA bout. Robert Byrd is a phenomenal referee. We’ve watched him – I’ve watched him ref since the announcement
has been made. He’s a good ref. He lets the fight take place. He doesn’t interrupt. He steps in when he should step in.

His also has some links to mixed martial arts also. His wife was involved in the mixed martial arts game. So I think again, I’m very pleased and I think it credits the Nevada State Athletic Commission on their choosing. It was done very, very fairly. So
we are very happy with it.

You weren’t hoping for Tony Weeks then by any chance?

C. McGregor

Tony Weeks was also a consideration. He was also selected – he has had – he has ref’d both MMA bouts and boxing bouts, so yes, he was definitely one on our list also. But we are happy. We are happy with the selection.

Did you have any issue with the three judges selected by the Commission?

C. McGregor

I haven’t really studied on the judging so it’s very hard to find out like a history of the judges just yet. I believe my coach. I’m sure that coach has been already on that case. But I believe it’s a fair mix across the board. I believe there’s US, there’s
European. I think it’s again, I commend the Nevada State Athletic Commission, they’ve done a hell of a job. It was fair all the way through. So we are very pleased.

On Monday your former sparring partner, Paulie Malignaggi, said that he is trying to fight you. That’s his intention. He would like to fight you. I’m wondering if this is something that you’re interested in?

C. McGregor

Look, tell the kid to join the queue. Tell him to shut his mouth and join the queue, will you fast? Lord save me. He got his ass whooped and he went sprinting and I don’t know what you want me to say about the guy, but hey, there’s a big list of people that
want to get in there and try and fight me, so tell him to join the queue and we’ll see what happens after the fight.

Have you watched All Access at all? What do you make of the way that they are portraying you and the way they’re portraying him on that show?

C. McGregor

Thank god I’m in the game. Thank god it’s me on the other side, otherwise it’d be one hell of a boring buildup to the contest I suppose. But I don’t really care. I mean I know he has control of these and he’s an executive producer on the project. I watched
episode 1 and I watched episode 2. I thought episode 2 was a great episode. Episode 3, I think I watched a little bit of episode 3. It’s a nice dynamic. I’m in the gym scheduling full on bouts. He’s at the ranch with the kids and the horse. So it’s a
nice dynamic.

He’s doing one thing, I’m doing another. So that’s the way they’re playing it, that’s the way it is. I think the buildup is the buildup. Everyone is excited here. We could go radio silent. We could go radio silent and this thing is still going to blow everything
out of the water. The public know what they’re witnessing here. This is a special historic event and everyone is very excited about it. So that’s where I’m at.

Some fighters like Terrence Crawford and David Haye have put out videos mocking your training. Have you seen these videos and if so, what do you make of the response to your training on Friday?

C. McGregor:

I’ve seen some videos. It is what it is. It’s lighthearted. I don’t take it personally. If anything, I see stiffness in every single one of them. You must have the limbs free. Your shoulders must be disconnected. You must have the ability to disconnect
your shoulders and reconnect it at the point of impact. With that skill set is how you can change a jab to a hook in the blink of an eye or a jab to an uppercut in the blink of an eye. It’s the same thing with the hip flexors for kicks. If I throw a front
kick to your midsection; if I’m tight in the hip and I can’t free the leg like I can free my shoulders like I showed one of many training methods on how to free the shoulders, if I can do that with my hip flexor, I can change the point of impact from the belly
and switch it up to the head in a millisecond.

These are just training methods – age old training methods. That shoulder training method you saw was made very popular by the great Rickson Gracie, one of the pioneers of mixed martial arts. It’s the shoulder loosening exercises. It gets the shoulders warmed
up. You’ve got to do it correct though. I’ve seen David Haye hit pads with it. You can’t hit pads with it when the shoulder is disconnected. You hit when the shoulder is disconnected and you’ll do serious damage to yourself. And David Haye is a man who
has pulled out contests over a sore baby toe. So he must be careful with the way he hits pads.

But it is what it is. We will educate as we go forward. It’s a marathon, not a sprint.

You said that you want to defend your multiple world titles in MMA. Do you still consider yourself the featherweight champion?

C. McGregor

Oh, 100%. I mean how can I not consider myself the UFC featherweight world champion and the UFC lightweight world champion? The current UFC featherweight world champion is Max Holloway, a man who I dismantled. And then the former was Jose Aldo. I still reign
supreme over that division. And then also, the 155-pound division, I know there’s talk of an interim belt. I had already won that belt and literally a month later, there was an interim scheduled.

But you know it is what it is. Everyone knows I am the multiple weight world champion of the UFC’s featherweight division and lightweight division. And I look forward to going back in continuing where I left off.

Conor what have you heard as far as the metrics from the fight?

C. McGregor

I saw it pointing to record breaking numbers. All across the board. From the gate to the sponsorships to the Pay-Per-Views. Absolutely every angle.

So I am very, very happy with how it has gone. I am very happy with how the promotion has gone. I believe I have handled it carefully and best of all involved I believe.

I have been more active than all involved by a mile. So I am very happy I look forward to when the contest is all said and done and wrapped up.

My friend is getting married in Ibiza. We are going to go to Ibiza and then I will relax on my yacht in Ibiza and I will begin the counting game. Because that is counting sponsorships, our count of the date revenue, the merchandise sales and the multiple
pies that I have my hand in. And then I build up my fortune and there we go. So that is my plan.

M. Radmanovich

Thank you everyone. Thank you Conor for joining us and at this point we are going to patch in UFC President, Dana White to join us for the next half an hour to take your questions. So we will reprompt you. We will get the queue going again.

With Conor going into the boxing world as opposed to James Toney coming into the MMA world, why do you think there isn’t that inevitability that there was when Tony came into MMA?

Dana White

Well I think a lot of people believe there is. But the difference is obviously, he came into a sport where there were so many different weapons and so many different ways to beat him.

Whereas, Conor can punch. Conor hits hard. Conor knocks people out. Completely different, completely different. Listen people think that Conor is going to be completely outclassed. Some people are saying that he will never hit Floyd once.

I will tell you this. I just watched him work out last night. He looks phenomenal. He is in great shape. He hits hard and now we are fighting in eight ounce gloves and this is going to be a fight.

Anything can happen in a fight. Even I can’t remember who the boxer was that fought in MMA. He hit Tim Silva, former Heavyweight Champion ,and knocked him out. So anything is possible in a fight.

Is there a fight that you tend to remember under the UFC banner that is comparable in anyway in terms of the buildup, the hype and just everything that is going into this?

D. White

There are tons of big fights that I have been involved with but obviously nothing as big as this. This is the biggest event ever in combat sports history. It is the most distributed event in Pay-Per-View history.

You can get this fight anywhere. This thing is on in like over 200 countries on Pay-Per-View. Boxing usually doesn’t do a lot of digital. You can buy this thing through UFC.TV and through the SHOWTIME app, Amazon, Sony, Apple, et cetera. You can buy this
thing.

If you are in Manhattan or you are on a desert island somewhere, if you have Wi-Fi you can buy this fight.

What do you classify as your biggest as far as the promotion and the buildup?

D. White

Well it depends. It depends on what time you are talking about it. All of the Conor fights and the Ronda fights have always been big. Chuck Liddell, Tito Ortiz was big. Anderson Silva, Vitor Belfort. There are tons of big fights that had a big fight feeling.

But this is the biggest fight ever. It is tracking right now to be the largest commercial Pay-Per-View ever done in the history of Pay-Per-View. It is the most distributed Pay-Per-View event in history. You know the list goes on and on of records that this
thing will break.

What is it like dealing with a personality like Conor where the guy is not satisfied ever and is always pushing for more and things that seem either impossible or not allowable to you?

D. White

I love it. That is why I call the kid the Unicorn. To accomplish great things in life you have to take huge risks. Who takes more risks than Conor McGregor?

The guy is a huge star. A fight falls out a week before. He will fight anybody. He doesn’t care. He believes in himself so much that he will literally fight anybody.

Most of the guys on a roster are like, I haven’t trained for him. I didn’t prepare for this guy and they won’t take the risk. They will cancel the fight and, you know that is the way most normal people are. Not this guy.

You know Floyd Mayweather and the talk started about these guys fighting. Never once did he say I absolutely demand that he fights me in MMA. He said no I want to go and fight Floyd in his own world. I want to beat him in what he does the best.

We actually have this thing that we are coming out with next week that we are going to put out on social media and other places. Where Conor starts off, you know, five, six years ago saying, “Dana you will sign me into the UFC. I will be your biggest star.
I will win two world titles.”

And all this stuff that he is laying out that is going to happen before I had even heard of Conor McGregor.

Do you recall the first conversation or the first time he broached the Floyd Mayweather question? Can you take us to that conversation when it came up and you discussed it? And what were your thoughts at that time?

D. White

Well I think the first time I remember the Mayweather thing was those guys were going back and forth. I thought it was crazy that Conor and Mayweather are talking smack to each other right now.

Then Conor told me he wanted to fight him and I was like, what? What is the point in even talking about this? That guy is never going to fight in MMA. He said no I want to box him.

And I was just like, all right. That’s crazy. And again it is one of those things I thought would never happen. Ehat would the rules be? I said we would never get a deal done with these guys. It would be impossible to get this deal done.

Then the first time this thing even started to get serious was I was on ESPN and I threw out, “Tell you what Floyd. I will give you $25 million.” And then TMZ got him somewhere and he hung his watch out the window and said, “You see this watch?”

And I don’t know what that meant. The watch was $25 million? I don’t know. But that is what started the negotiations when I put out the $25 million offer.

Are you now a believer in Mystic Mac?

D. White

I am a believer in Mystic Mac for sure. This kid he has done everything he said he would do. And he is claiming that he will knock out Floyd Mayweather within four rounds and I think he broke it down to two now.

But yes listen I am with Conor. I am in. I am on the ride with him man so I am excited.

I am wondering if you think this fight has the potential to impact the popularity of either sport? And related to that, does your research so much crossover between the MMA fan and the boxing fan?

D. White

There are some. You know the boxing fan is older. Those demographics are older than ours. But I believe that this is good for combat sports. It is like when Mayweather Paacquiao did the numbers that they did I was like wow.

First I said good for them. And Number 2, I was like well that is the bar. That shows me that if you have the right fight at the right place at the right time, people are willing to watch.

I knew once this thing started to materialize that this fight was going to be so much bigger worldwide than any fight that had ever happened. Conor has a very big following in places like Brazil, in places like Australia. Obviously Europe.

So I knew that worldwide this would be the big and I was right. This thing is the biggest event that has ever happened to combat sports. This fight will reach over a billion homes worldwide.

It could help both sports. Can it hurt either sport? Depending on what the outcome is?

D. White

I don’t think it hurts either sport. I think this is one of those cool situations where two guys are willing to take the risk to fight each other. And I think that this thing has captured the imagination of people.

That is how this fight was built. This fight was really built through the fans and the media.

Has your respect for Floyd Mayweather and his team grown through this process?

D. White

Definitely. The worst deals to be involved with are people that aren’t very smart but they think they are. They are the most dangerous kind. And Mayweather’s team isn’t bad at all. These guys are actually very, very smart guys.

When I say that it’s because when problems pop up you know it is always hard to fix with people who aren’t too bright. Then it is always the small stuff and not the right things to be arguing about. These guys are really easy to deal with.

How do you see the eight ounce gloves affecting the contest?

D. White

I think it affects the contest a lot. First of all, yes Floyd will be faster with eight ounce gloves. But Floyd is a defensive master and he has less glove for less defense.

Conor hits like a truck, smaller gloves favor him big time. So it affects the fight big time.

When we were in the original negotiations it wasn’t even something they were talking about eight ounce gloves.

So I don’t know what has changed in the last however long ago we did the deal but I am glad it did. I think it makes it so much more fun.

Do you subscribe or ascribe a lot of the credit to the family for the way Conor is as well?

D. White

Definitely, you have to. But at the end of the day he is a special kid. I call him the Unicorn. He is different than anybody I have ever dealt with.

I like how he is willing to put everything on the line. I have never seen anybody who believes in himself more than this guy does. And believes in – when he makes up his mind and what he is going to do. He absolutely 100% believes it. Lives it. It is fascinating.

What noises were you making watching him spar last night? What were the noises coming out of Dana White?

D. White

I was very quiet and sat there and just watched. He sparred with a really fast talented kid and it was a good session. And Conor worked like a dog last night.

He is in great shape. He is hitting really hard right now and he is in a very good place. I loved watching it last night and I feel good about this.

If he beats Floyd and he comes back for a couple of fights in the UFC would it not surprise you if he beats Floyd Mayweather if he starts calling out Canelo and Golovkin?

D. White

God nothing with Conor would surprise me. It is not what I would want to have happen but it wouldn’t surprise me.

Has he come out and tried to bet you anything that he is going to fulfill this two to four round prediction?

D. White

No he hasn’t tried. Listen I am on his side on this thing. I want him to win. I expect him to win. I expect him to knock Floyd Mayweather out. So no, not that I didn’t think that he could beat Chad Mendes.

It is not like I am going to bet against another one of my guys. Which by the way, we didn’t make that bet but we did pay him.

It was ruled today that you guys were going to be an official promoter for this event. So what additional leverage does that give you guys? How else are you able to now help push this as you said to a billion homes worldwide?

D. White

Yes I think that we have done a good job with working with SHOWTIME and they do the things that they are good at. We do the things that we are good at. And it really helped.

There are a lot of things that boxing doesn’t do. For instance, most of the times you are dealing with the network. Networks aren’t too excited to go OTT. Now a big thing that they are into.

We have the capabilities. We do it all the time. And I believe we are one of the best to do it. And I mean the numbers are tracking huge. We are going to do the numbers that everybody has been talking we are going to do.

The over/under line in Vegas is is 4.9 million. Everything is tracking right now to say that we are going to kill this thing. So it is looking really good.

It was announced yesterday that you are going to have Tony Ferguson and Kevin Lee fight for an interim belt. That would actually fall within a year since Conor won the belt. So is there a particularly reason why you guys are rushing into the interim business
again?

D. White

No because the thing is Conor has told me he is going to fight again this year. But I don’t know what is going to happen, you know. You can’t put these guys on the shelves all this time.

We will see what happens with this fight. That fight is going to move forward and we will see what is next for Conor.

How much money do you expect Conor McGregor make on August 26th?

D. White

Well it depends on obviously what the fight does. But Conor is going to make a lot of life changing money. Money that will change his family’s life forever.

Just wanted you to talk about the impact of social media on this fight?

D. White

Oh yes absolutely. When we did the world tour the numbers were off the charts. I can’t quote exactly, I don’t have them in front of me. But if you ask our PR team they can give you those numbers.

Great question it was incredible how many people. The first day, I can’t remember it was something crazy like the first day, the first stop in LA something like 12.5 million people watched it just on our Facebook alone.

Maybe it was between 12 and 20 million or something like that. I can’t remember. But that was just on Facebook the first day. So yes the numbers were massive.

Even something like the Paulie sparring thing that just kept going and going and going. Do you think that added to the eyeballs that you are going to get the night of the fight?

D. White

Yes, listen obviously the whole Paulie thing popped up out of nowhere. That thing happened and went down. It is funny all the twists and turns that happen when you are promoting a fight like this.

Obviously he was saying all this crazy stuff for like five or six days. And then finally I was like you know what? I want to put out some of the footage here and just stop all this craziness.

When I put the footage out., just the footage on my Instagram alone it was both Instagram over a million. My Facebook was over two million and Twitter was close to two million too just on mine. That doesn’t include you know everywhere else it went.

Are there a couple of things Conor, the person that people aren’t too familiar with that maybe that stand out to you?

D. White

Yes I mean Conor, the person is a very loyal guy. He is a good guy. If you look at the people he is around. Very, very, very loyal to his country and his people obviously.

And then his friends, the guys are the same guys that have been around him. He doesn’t try to go, maybe I should go train with this trainer or this camp or these guys. He is very loyal to his own.

He is very smart kid when it comes to fighting. His fight IQ is brilliant. Then he is actually a smart businessman too. The kids has made a lot of really good decisions and you know even when he deals with us he is a very bright guy.

Floyd likes to say that Conor stole his blueprint. Do you think he did?

D. White

No the thing is that is scary is in a lot of ways I think they are very similar guys. It is not like you can just go out and say, I am going to act like this guy or I am going to act like that guy. Conor is who he is.

Every city he goes he is in a different Bentley or a different Rolls Royce. You have got to be like that.

Listen, I have never been a Rolls Royce in my life. One of the first ones I ever saw was Conor’s in New York. So you are either that type of guy or you are not.

M. Radmanovich

Thank you everyone and thank you to our speakers today. Dana White and Conor McGregor. We look forward to seeing everybody here in Las Vegas, next Saturday, August 26th at T-Mobile Arena for what is going to be a great evening of fights. Thank you everyone

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