The Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor hype-machine whirred into action in Los Angeles yesterday as the two fighters began a whirlwind promotional tour ahead of their boxing showdown next month.
At a predictably feisty press conference, featuring as much razzmatazz as most fights can muster, UFC champion McGregor, wearing a pinstripe suit emblazoned with the words "f*** you", taunted his opponent, heckled his entourage and bullishly predicted a fourth round knockout of his opponent.
Among the Irishman's more broadcastable comments were a prediction of an early finish when they meet in Las Vegas on 26 August. "I’m going to knock him out inside of four rounds," said McGregor. "Mark my words. Floyd will be unconscious inside of four rounds.
"The power and ferociousness that I have, he’s never experienced it before… My fist will break his guard."
Mayweather, who has never lost a boxing match and has come out of retirement to take on the cage fighter, played his part too as he boasted about his wealth and his undefeated record, at one point brandishing a cheque for $100m which he received for fighting Manny Pacquiao in 2015.
"Everything went according to script," says Rory Carroll of . "Conor McGregor trashed, taunted and belittled Floyd Mayweather and hinted he may use his mixed martial arts skills to knock him out.
"Mayweather clapped back while simultaneously inflating the notion their fight would be a real contest with an uncertain outcome.
"The audience that filled the Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles cheered and howled as if witnessing the opening salvo in a battle for the ages… Television crews pointed their cameras and commentators appeared to take it all seriously."
Few expect McGregor to stand a chance when the two men finally meet in the ring on 26 August, but their appearance in LA was not about their merits as fighters, says Gareth A Davies of the Daily Telegraph.
"Right now it's not about the fight. It's about the hype," he says. "And Conor McGregor took round one from Floyd Mayweather with flying colours. Irascible humour was stamped all over the opening salvo here in southern California as boxing's biggest global freak show, worth an estimated $500m plus, found its teeth.
"The fans are already sold on it, judging by the scenes here in Los Angeles," he says.
McGregor was cheered to the rafters by the 11,000-strong crowd, while there were catcalls for Mayweather.
"The bad guy, and the uncontrollable crazy underdog, are the roles set for them," says Davies. "In the ring, Mayweather will hold all the aces. But in PR terms, McGregor truly is peerless."
McGregor is "one of the most quotable, and profane, athletes of his time", agrees the New York Times. "Mayweather has not shied away from belittling opponents."
However, it was not overly impressed by the LA event. "Mayweather-McGregor on Tuesday didn’t match the best hype of old," says the paper. "Still, it was a good start, and there are three more prefight events to go."
The pair will appear in Toronto next, then New York tomorrow and finally at Wembley on Friday night.
McGregor vs Mayweather: 'A cross between a fist fight and a circus spectacle'
15 June
UFC star Conor McGregor and boxing legend Floyd Mayweather have finally confirmed they will fight in Las Vegas on 26 August.
After months of taunts on social media and complex negotiations between the two camps, the fighters announced on Wednesday they would go head to head - although McGregor could not resist the urge to take another dig at Mayweather by posting a picture of Floyd Sr rather than his opponent.
It will be the biggest boxing event since Mayweather's fight with Manny Pacquiao in 2015 and promoters expect it to generate $500m (£392m). The 12-round bout will be fought at the junior middleweight limit of 154lbs with ten-ounce gloves.
However, behind the hype lies a lot of scepticism and most observers dismiss the clash as a mismatch.
Mixed martial artist McGregor has no professional boxing experience - he is a double champion in the UFC, where fighters can kick, punch and grapple with their opponents.
He is a "terrific" mixed martial artist, says Steve Bunce of the BBC. "But what he's absolutely hopeless at - and every now and again we see glimpses of it - is boxing... When he boxes, when he tries to box, whether that's in a gymnasium or a little break in a mixed martial arts fight, he is hopeless."
Mayweather, meanwhile, retired from boxing two years ago, with a record of 49 wins and no defeats. His career saw him win 15 world titles in five weight divisions.
It will be "a cross between a fist fight and a circus spectacle", says Jeff Powell of the Daily Mail. "But with his customary, control-freak timing, Mayweather has ensured another multi-million dollar extravaganza on that famous Strip."
Tom Lutz of says the fight will be "more about making money than treating the public to a display of athletic skill.
"It would also prove a lucrative platform for Mayweather's stable of fighters," he adds, referring to expectations that Badou Jack and Gervonta Davis are likely to appear on the undercard in fights that will probably hold more interest than the main event.
At 28, McGregor is 12 years younger than Mayweather and has been focusing solely on his boxing in preparation for a possible fight. But it is not expected to be enough.
"No amount of salesmanship, misdirection or promotional razzle-dazzle can alter the obvious: McGregor's chances under the unified rules of boxing that will govern the 26 August meeting are so infinitesimal they’re hardly worth discussing," says Bryan Armen Graham in the Guardian.
"It's simply unfathomable that a man with zero fights will defeat any elite boxer, let alone one of the greatest defensive technicians to ever take up the gloves. Just as Mayweather would stand no chance in a mixed martial arts match. Shame on the thirsty Nevada Athletic Commission for sanctioning this circus."
McGregor and Mayweather to fight in Las Vegas on 26 August
13 June
Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor could finally come face to face in the ring after it was reported that 26 August had been pencilled in for the much-anticipated cross-code fight.
MMA fighter McGregor, who made his name in UFC, and retired boxing legend Mayweather have been circling each other for months. It appears that rumours of a match-up in the ring could be coming to fruition.
Although negotiations for the fight are not yet complete, ESPN reports that the showdown is likely to take place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas in less than three months' time. Mayweather Promotions will make a formal request to the Nevada State Athletic Commission once the deal is completed.
The complex deal involves various promoters and media companies and there has yet to be an announcement. One TV executive told ESPN they were keen to avoid the "circus" that surrounded attempts to set up the fight between Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao.
"McGregor, the two-division UFC champion, and UFC officials came to an agreement on how their side will split the money generated by what is expected to be a massive pay-per-view event generating hundreds of millions of dollars," says ESPN. "Talks are ongoing between WME-IMG, UFC's ownership group, and Mayweather adviser Al Haymon as they work to finalise the agreement."
The chances of the fight going ahead look good, says The Sun, which points out that Mayweather Promotions has no other boxing event coming up. This suggests the venue was booked for the "cross-sport blockbuster bout".
Mayweather's past 12 fights have all been held at the MGM Grand, it adds. And with McGregor already on board, "his signature is all that is left to get the fight of the century – supposedly worth one billion dollars – underway".
But there is no guarantee the fight will go ahead.
"The 28-year-old McGregor is still awaiting confirmation of his boxing licence in Nevada, while Mayweather, 40, has not yet applied for his Nevada boxing licence which must also be renewed," says the Daily Telegraph.
"Mayweather, who had initially ended his career with 49 victories, 26 KOS, has not fought since September 2015 when he beat Andre Berto to retain his welterweight title."