Conor McGregor: ‘It was a bit of an early stoppage’
By Mike Dyce
Conor McGregor thinks it was a bit of an early stoppage from the referee against Floyd Mayweather.
Floyd Mayweather stopped UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor in the 10th round to improve to a perfect 50-0. While McGregor was leaning against the ropes after being wobbled, referee Robert Byrd stepped in to stop the fight.
After the fight, McGregor complained about an early stoppage in a jovial yet humble way.
“I thought it was close though and I thought it was a bit of an early stoppage,” McGregor said.
McGregor looked wobbled, and potentially out on his feet. The UFC champion attributed this to fatigue.
“Where was the final two rounds? Let me walk back to my corner and compose myself,” McGregor said.
McGregor added: “Let the man put me down, that’s fatigue, that’s not damage.”
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McGregor displayed a humbleness UFC fans were accustomed to in the UFC, and promised he would be back stronger than ever. Pleading for the referee to let Mayweather actually knock him out as opposed to stopping it via TKO is peculiar.
“I’ve been strangled on live TV and came back,” McGregor said referencing his loss to Nate Diaz at UFC 194.
McGregor was quick to acknowledge Mayweather’s experience and superiority after the fight as well.
“He’s composed, he’s not that fast, he’s not that powerful, but boy is he composed in there,” McGregor said.
Mayweather also expressed a desire to put on a more entertaining performance after the dud that was the Manny Pacquiao fight.
“I think we gave the fans what they wanted to see. I owed them for the Pacquiao fight,” Mayweather said. “I had to come straight ahead and give the fans a show. That’s what I gave them.
“He’s a lot better than I thought he’d be. He’s a tough competitor, but I was the better man tonight.”