Canelo Alvarez has responded to Conor McGregor’s comments after the Irishman questioned his commercial appeal.
McGregor reacted to Canelo’s decision to fight Edgar Berlanga on Mexican Independence Weekend, coinciding with UFC 306’s first-ever combat sports event at the arena on September 14, headlined by Sean O’Malley and Merab Dvalishvili.
The prevailing belief is that the UFC event will attract more viewers and revenue, with Dana White investing at least $17 million in it. McGregor thought Canelo’s fight on the same day would be a mistake.
Canelo’s previous fight against Jaime Munguia garnered over 500,000 PPV buys, but this was significantly less than McGregor’s record of 2.4 million buys for his bout with Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 229 in 2018.
McGregor’s fight with Michael Chandler, slated for UFC 303, also demonstrated his star power, setting a UFC record for the largest live gate at over $20 million. Tickets for the first presser sold out in nine minutes. However, the fight was canceled after McGregor withdrew due to a toe injury. McGregor had a few choice words for Canelo.
“Canelo is a cornflake. He has about [300,000] buys in him. He does not generate anywhere near what he seeks to be paid. UFC [306] is going to run them from the strip. Sheik Turki was right moving on. Canelo doesn’t sell,” McGregor said.
In response, Canelo accused McGregor of trying to boost the UFC’s event sales. Canelo’s comments showed his disdain for McGregor.
“What’s happening is that he’s helping Dana White to sell for the UFC. That’s why he’s saying that, but he knows he’s my son,” Canelo said.
While Canelo is scheduled to fight in September, McGregor has not competed in the UFC since 2021, when he lost to Dustin Poirier at UFC 264, suffering his third loss in four UFC bouts due to a broken leg. McGregor has two fights left on his UFC contract and has talked about his future, mentioning potential fights in BKFC, where he is now a part-owner.
He has also hinted at a return to boxing. His only boxing match was in 2017, where he lost to Floyd Mayweather. Possible opponents include Manny Pacquiao and even Canelo. Although a fight between McGregor and Canelo is unlikely, McGregor continues to consider it, noting Canelo’s perceived decline and difficulties with southpaws, which boosts his confidence.
“I’m a southpaw, John Ryder’s a southpaw, Billy Joe Saunders is a southpaw. I’ve seen methods, I’ve seen things I do, and I know he’s waning. I’d fight Canelo no [expletive] problem,” McGregor stated.
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