‘This Is What They Hate’: Floyd Mayweather Suggests Racism Is Why Many Hate His Trash-Talking Persona, Whereas White MMA Fighter Conor McGregor Is Praised

Retired boxer Floyd Mayweather may have taken his gloves off for good professionally, but that hasn’t stopped him from taking a swing at former opponent Conor McGregor.

Following the MMA fan favorite’s stunning second-round loss to Dustin Poirier in their UFC Fight Island in Abu Dhabi over the weekend, Mayweather took to social to explain why he thinks McGregor’s widespread support is fueled by double-standards and racism.

Floyd Mayweather says racism is at play when he is hated for his style and demeanor, but Conor McGregor is praised for the same persona. (Photo: @floydmayweather, @thenotoriousmma/Instagram)

Mayweather has been loved and criticized for his lavish lifestyle, flaunting of money, and untouchable demeanor both in and out of the ring. It’s the very persona that he claims his white counterpart benefits from without the hate.

“Con Artist McLoser can steal everything from me and be loved but I’m hated. That just lets you all know that racism still exist. Just know, that bum will never be me or be on my level,” wrote Mayweather on an IG post.

“I’m just built different, my mindset is on another planet, my skills are second to none, I’m a natural born winner and yes I talk a lot of trash, but every time I back it up!” he continued. “This is what they hate. It’s sad that you can be a poor black kid from the ghetto that has dealt with racism your whole life and work extremely hard to put yourself and your family in a better position, and most of the hate come from my own people.”

Mayweather hung up his boxing gloves in 2015 only to come back in June 2017 to take on McGregor. Proving he still had more than enough fight left in him, Mayweather dominated the match en route to a 10th-round TKO.

Since then he’s laid low when not being called out by internet foe 50 Cent. The now 43-year-old has also earned a new title: grandfather.

In early January Mayweather’s daughter Yaya welcomed her first child, a son, with rapper NBA Youngboy.

Democracy needs journalism it can trust.

This election season, the stakes are higher than usual — and so is the pressure on newsrooms to soften their coverage, stay quiet, or just disappear. Independent reporting, the kind that answers to readers instead of advertisers or political pressure, matters more in a moment like this, not less.

For over 14 years, Atlanta Black Star has stayed independent and reader-funded. We have no corporate owner and no shareholders telling us what to cover or how to cover it. That independence is also our biggest vulnerability: nothing protects it except readers choosing to fund it directly.

Newspaper ad revenue has fallen more than 80% since 2005, and local newsrooms are closing at a rate of roughly two a week nationwide. When outlets go under in a moment like this, it's rarely the independent, reader-funded ones that get to stick around.

We know a request for support isn't why you came here. But without readers choosing to fund this work directly, the depth of reporting we can do at home and abroad shrinks along with everyone else's. If you're not in a position to give, that doesn't change how much we value you as a reader.

If you are able to, a recurring contribution does more for us than a single one-time gift, because it lets us plan the next investigation instead of just the next invoice. It takes about 30 seconds, no long form, no account. Thank you for continuing to support independent journalism and freedom of the press.

Back to top