Conor McGregor on Boxers Criticizing His Skill Set: It’s ‘Very Motivating’
Conor McGregor unintentionally started a new trend on social media last week when he showed off an unusual warm-up during an open workout. While McGregor explained that the shoulder exercise was “made very popular by the great Rickson Gracie,” boxers such as David Haye and Terence Crawford were quick to poke fun at him by reenacting it as a part of the “McGregor Challenge.”
Conor McGregor has a new trending topic associated to him, but we don’t think he intended for it to happen like this. #McGregorChallenge pic.twitter.com/eLL4ukVrbp
— FOX Sports: UFC (@UFCONFOX) August 15, 2017
McGregor was asked about the challenge during a media call on Wednesday and said he doesn’t take the criticism personally. He then went on to criticize the technique of those fighters, saying they were stiff in their movement.
“I’ve seen some videos,” McGregor said. “It is what it is. It’s lighthearted. I don’t take it personal. If anything, I see stiffness in every single one of them. You must have the limbs free. The shoulders must be disconnected. You must have the ability to disconnect your shoulders and reconnect it at the point of impact.”
During the media call, McGregor also talked about how the criticism of his boxing style in general – of which he has had plenty of since the fight was first announced – only acts as fuel for him.
“Seeing the disrespect and disregard of my skill set is very motivating,” McGregor explained. “They have a closed mind to how things can be done. If that was the case, we would have never went into space. You have to have an open mind and realize there are other ways train to win a fight. Fighting is a complex game.”
Before UFC president Dana White released the video of McGregor sparring with Paulie Malignaggi, many used McGregor’s training videos as “proof” that he has no chance against Mayweather. Following the video, however, McGregor’s odds in the betting world have only picked up steam.
Watch below: Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather’s August 26th fight details, save for financial terms, have been announced.