by James Slater – Boxing great Floyd Mayweather Junior has an opinion on most everything with regards to pro fighting, be it boxing, MMA or UFC, and some of “Money’s” recent remarks about MMA have annoyed one of that discipline’s top practitioners. MMA weekly has an internet article in which Miguel Torres, the current WEC bantamweight champion, expresses his anger at Mayweather’s derogatory remarks about MMA, and Torres also calls Mayweather out in the article..
Reportedly, the 32-year-old unbeaten multi-weight world champion referred to MMA as a sport that was “for beer drinkers,” and Floyd also stated that the reason the sport was invented in the first place was because “there’s no white fighters in boxing that’s dominating.” It’s possible Floyd was quoted out of context, but Torres, as he explained to MMA Weekly, heard these comments and he is ready to make Mayweather eat his words (Torres is proud, the article states, of his Hispanic background).
“I’m not going to lie, I don’t talk a lot of (expletive),” Torres said. “I did an interview with ESPN and they told me what (Mayweather) had done. I heard he was talking garbage about mixed martial arts, and he was being pretty racist on certain subjects, and that made me kind of angry because I love boxing. I grew up watching boxing.”
Torres then said that although he rates Mayweather as a good boxer and a great champion, he has no time for his mouth. Torres also made it clear he would relish a fight with Floyd – in whatever form of fighting Mayweather were to choose.
“I haven’t watched a ton of Mayweather’s fights,” Torres continued. “I know he’s a good boxer. But he’s very flamboyant, he’s very cocky, he’s a bit of a prick, and I think he’s broke now because of whatever financial reason he has, but you can’t talk about a complete fighter when you’re not a complete fighter yourself.
“I think in a real fight, in a mixed martial arts fight, he wouldn’t stand a chance against a mid-level MMA fighter. He’d get taken down in a heartbeat. I’d be the first one at my weight class to say I’d fight Mayweather, anywhere, any way he wants. We can even do modified kind of rules, we can box for three rounds, do kickboxing for three rounds and then fight MMA for three rounds. I would even do something like that so he could have a little more confidence.”
Will Mayweather, who returns to the boxing ring in September after a new two-year layoff, hear or read this challenge? Maybe. But even if he does, what’s the chances of the hybrid fight taking place? Slim. Very slim. We’ve seen boxers Vs. MMA fighters clash recently, but never at the elite level. Mayweather-Torres sure would be a huge promotion if it were to happen. But it won’t. I’d bet on it.
It just goes to show, though, how “Money” Mayweather’s brashness and loudness can be heard and felt in arenas other than those of the boxing world. After having insulted a large number of fellow pugilists, Mayweather is now getting on MMA fighter’s nerves!