When Conor McGregor lost via TKO at 2:32 of the second round of UFC 257, opinions about the fighter abounded.
From questions regarding his fabled winning ways now diminished to his supposed training partner “changes” factoring into the loss, “Mystic Mac” self-fulfilling prophecy days seem waning.
However, his most prominent opponent to date had another perspective that was a direct indictment of the Irish fighter and those who support him.
Five-division world champion and first-ballot Hall of Famer Floyd “Money” Mayweather weighed in immediately following McGregor’s loss. An Instagram user, ringiqtvofficial, posed a question that got Mayweather in his feels.
Why is @floydmayweather hated for the way he carries himself, but @thenotoriousmma is loved for the same way he has? Let’sLet’s hear your thoughts!
Floyd had a lot to say about the subject.
“I seen this post and my take on it is that the world knows Con Artist McLoser can steal everything from me and be loved but I’m hated. That just lets you all know that racism still exist. Just know, that bum will never be me or be on my level. I’m just built different, my mindset is on another planet, my skills are second to none, I’m a natural born winner and yes I talk a lot of trash, but every time I back it up! This is what they hate. It’s sad that you can be a poor Black kid from the ghetto that has dealt with racism your whole life and work extremely hard to put yourself and your family in a better position, and most of the hate come from my own people. Connor cannot even win in his own sport, but talking about coming back to boxing to fight Pacquiao. Nobody wants to see that, it’s like my leftovers eating leftovers.”
Mayweather published the rant without fans’ ability to comment. For this reason, it is a little too late. 
“Race” to “Money”
Floyd made money his religion a long time ago, even crafting his entire sports heel persona around fiat currency with the nickname “Money.”
Although he hires Black and creates wealth for other young athletes of color and grooms Black executives, he has some troubling past alignments. 
Mayweather attended Donald Trump’s Presidential inauguration, the first he ever heard, and allowed usage of his image by both the Donald and Don, Jr., on social media to coerce a burgeoning Black voter base onto his party line.
The only other boxing promoter to do so for Trump’s 2016 run was Don King.
However, never during Trump’s racially divisive Presidency did Mayweather call out the heel persona of #45.
In 2017, Mayweather, still the top draw in boxing by a landslide, elected to take on debutant professional boxer Conor McGregor as his 50th and final fight.
Amid many worthy boxing candidates, whose lives would have been exponentially upgraded financially from the bout, McGregor became one of the wealthiest fighters ever from the event.
It is the second-highest-grossing pay-per-view in boxing history, right behind Mayweather vs. Pacquiao in 2015. Although the intrigue for a successful striker in MMA to face one of the best defensive boxers ever was feverish, it was still a misnomer to believe a first-time professional fighter would best a Mayweather’s pedigree.
However, Mayweather knew that race would sell tickets and pay-per-views. It was one of the first times that Mayweather even accepted sponsorships for the bout due to its global popularity.
Mayweather has a troubling record of domestic violence against Black women. The former champion even did jail time in Las Vegas for an incident involving the mother of some of his children.
Woukd they say that he “hated” on them while also being Black?
The global press tour saw McGregor disrespect Black women at the Barclays Center. He even rubbed Mayweather’sMayweather’s head during the U.K. press stop to the delight of the European audience.
Although both played their well-known bad guy images to a tee, McGregor stepped over the racial and cultural line habitually. Mayweather never showed an ounce of anger concerning the aforementioned specific incidents and never checked McGregor, just wallowed in the mid with him. 
After all, it sold better if McGregor stoked White rage over Mayweather’s perceived athletic prowess and wealth.
Where was this Mayweather back then? Why didn’t he stop to realize he helped orchestrate this monster and further incubate his faithful following?
The money was too massive to pass up. The anything-goes mentality that McGregor imposed upon his chief MMA rival, Khabib Nurmagomedov, showed with xenophobia and cultural abandon during the lead up their fateful fight at UFC 229 in 2018.
Throughout Mayweather’s career, he has known race politics as a selling point for fight hype. As he benefitted from it against Oscar de la Hoya, Ricky Hatton, and Manny Pacquiao, it became a part of his brand. 
He embraced being the one you pay to see, hoping he loses mentality openly and challenges his detractors to gamble on their enmity with an in-venue ticket or paying the toll for access to his PPV’s.
However, his opinion is convenient in retirement after creating most of the image shenanigans McGregor has adopted to become more famous for his out of run persona than his in-combat abilities.
Kinfolk > Skinfolk
Mayweather claims that most of the hate comes from his people. It isn’t clear if he is talking about his internal camp or some African-American community members, but this idea is not without merit.
Like many other formerly impoverished Black males who suddenly actualize their financial dreams, braggadocio comes with consequences from the oppressed. However, his biggest haters will always be those who resent his packaging, winning ways and all.
Those people are across all racial lines and dislike his arrogance more than his abilities. Mayweather’s influence over McGregor is like many rappers are influenced by Ric Flair.
However, Mayweather should have also recognized that he cultivated the same energy that he feels McGregor receives.
It made him the most successful boxer-businessman in history.
Unfortunately, for many, even though Mayweather’sMayweather’s words have the familiar ring of truth within the statement, it is a little too late with so many inconsistencies on your character record.
Mayweather has famously said the only thing God made perfect was his boxing record. Too bad he sacrificed his conscience to get there.
