UFC featherweight title contender Conor McGregor was looking to get the attention of elite boxer Floyd Mayweather when he started leveling smack talk in his direction on Thursday. He succeeded.
According to TMZ Sports, Mayweather fired back at the notoriously mouthy mixed martial artist, flatly labeling him a "joke." "I don't take that dude seriously," he said. "He's just trying to get himself some publicity."
The scorn comes from comments McGregor made in an interview with Esquire. When comparing and contrasting athletes who specialize in specific combat sports (such as boxing) rather than honing well-rounded MMA games, the Irishman said he'd be able to "wrap around [Mayweather] like a boa constrictor and strangle him" in less than 30 seconds.
Of course, it's worth noting that Mayweather, intentionally or not, played into McGregor's hand by even acknowledging him. While he skated cleanly through his non-rivalry with UFC women's bantamweight champ Ronda Rousey last year by wondering aloud who this Ron DeRousey character is, trading blows with combat sports' pound-for-pound champion of the microphone for any length of time would be an unpleasant endeavor. Dominant UFC featherweight champ Jose Aldo, who faces McGregor in July at UFC 189, was subjected to McGregor's antics for weeks and couldn't maintain his usual stoicism.
Mayweather, of course, has a busy schedule these days as he prepares to face long-time rival Manny Pacquiao in one of the biggest events in boxing history. The bout, scheduled for May 2, will almost certainly be the biggest match of 2015 and is expected to shatter gate and revenue records.
Needless to say, fans shouldn't even entertain the idea of a Mayweather vs. McGregor superfight. While the idea is certainly an interesting one, the promotional and financial barriers are far too tall to overcome at this point (oh, and they also compete in completely different sports).
Of course, keep an eye out for McGregor's likely response over the coming days.
