Conor McGregor has been driven on through the final stages of the training camp for his August 26 fight with Floyd Mayweather by the increasing ridicule he is receiving.
The 29-year-old fights for the first time as a professional boxer at Las Vegasโ T-Mobile Arena against the undefeated Mayweather, one of the sportโs all-time greats.
McGregor built his reputation as one of the leading figures in the UFC, but few within the boxing community give him any chance of even testing an opponent who is 40 and has been inactive for almost two years.
Playing in the boxing ring with my son.
Life is good! pic.twitter.com/D6woZYmpMOโ Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) August 17, 2017
Most recently Americaโs Terence Crawford, among the worldโs finest fighters, and David Haye have released videos on social media mocking the warm-up technique with which McGregor demonstrates unusually loose and flexible arms.
McGregor manoeuvred his way into such a lucrative fight partly through his clever use of social media, but after insisting he found the videos โlight-heartedโ, he became defensive and revealed how those doubting him have spurred him on.
โItโs certainly motivating,โ the Irishman said. โThe disrespect of my skill-set: I look at people and their minds are closed. โItโs a set way and thereโs no other wayโ.
โ Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) August 17, 2017
โIf that was the case weโd never have reached across the waters and searched for other land, and never have gone into space.
โWhen I hear their disrespect, I use it as motivation and I look forward to going in and educating them. I get it. Iโm coming in (to the sport), I understand where itโs at, Iโm just looking forward to proving what Iโm saying and earning my respect in this game also.
โIโve seen some videos, but itโs light-hearted, I donโt take it personally. If anything I see stiffness in every single one of them.
Wrapping the weapons. pic.twitter.com/0NyH1u9nfg
โ Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) August 16, 2017
โWith that skill-set, itโs how you can change a jab to a hook in the blink of an eye, or a jab to an uppercut. Itโs the same thing as the hip-flexors for a kick. If Iโm tight in the hips and canโt free my legs, I can free my shoulders like I showedโฆ
โThese are just age-old training methods. That shoulder method you saw was made very popular by the great Rickson Gracie, one of the pioneers of mixed-martial arts.
โItโs a shoulder-loosening exercise: youโve got to do it correct though. David Haye is a man whoโs pulled out of contests over a sore baby toe so he must be careful with the way he hits the pads (Haye complained about a broken toe after his 2011 defeat by Wladimir Klitschko). We will educate as we go forward.โ