No one was safe from UFC Lightweight Champion Conor McGregor during Wednesday’s press conference for his upcoming fight against Floyd “Money” Mayweather.
In Toronto, not only did McGregor attack Mayweather with verbal jabs, but he also targeted Stephen Espinoza, the vice president of Showtime sports.
Espinoza later talked to MMA Fighting and discussed how he felt about being on the receiving end of McGregor’s verbal onslaught.
“I’m not sure whether it’s part of the show,” Espinoza said. “I’m not sure how much is a put on. It seemed more than that. It certainly wasn’t a wink and a nod. And it wasn’t backstage saying, ‘Hey, I’m doing it for the good of the show.’ The reality is you see what some athletes, whether combat sports or otherwise, the need to invent enemies and invent opponents to motivate. He’s obviously got that in Floyd. If this is part of his process of imagining the world against him and motivating himself, then that’s his process.
“I’m a big boy. It’s certainly not somebody that has come after me as a network. It did take me a little bit by surprise, but it’s part of the entertainment value of the McGregor business.”
McGregor will fight Mayweather in a boxing match on Aug. 26. The event will be aired live via Showtime pay-per-view.
