Conor McGregor: If Floyd Mayweather disrespects me ‘I might just bounce an elbow off his eyebrow’

LOS ANGELES — Conor McGregor drew something of a line in the sand on the first day of the MayMac World Tour here at Staples Center. Even if he was likely joking. Mostly.

In a verbal exchange with Floyd Mayweather’s father Floyd Sr. during a press conference, McGregor said he might bust out some mixed martial arts techniques if Floyd Mayweather “disrespects” him during the tour.

“Tell him, as long as he speaks my name with respect, I will abide by the boxing rules,” McGregor said at a press scrum for print media. “I’ll abide by the Marquess of Queensberry rules. Only if he speaks my name. If he disrespects me during this tour, during this build up, then maybe I might just bounce an elbow off his eyebrow. That’s on him how he does it.”

Floyd Sr. became agitated at this talk by McGregor, vowing to beat McGregor’s ass if McGregor does anything but boxing in the ring against Mayweather. McGregor joked that it would be too late — Floyd Sr. could do nothing if “The Notorious” chose to go that route.

“By the time you climb into the ring from the steps, he’ll already be busted open from eyebrow down,” McGregor said.

The Irishman wasn’t through egging the elder Mayweather on. He also said he’d contemplate putting Mayweather Jr. in a choke if so inclined.

“If his head gets down low, I might just wrap it up in a strangle,” McGregor said. “You know it takes three seconds to sleep a man from a strangle? An untrained neck, not used to it, it takes two seconds. So if I wrap around his neck and strangle him, he will be asleep within two seconds. On the canvas in that ring. That’s quicker than it will take you to come into the ring. So be very, very respectful with how you speak my name.”

Mayweather was asked at his press availability with print media about the possibility of McGregor reverting to his MMA ways during the boxing match, which will take place Aug. 26 in Las Vegas. Mayweather said he was not at all worried about it and that’s what the referee is there for.

Leonard Ellerbe, CEO of Mayweather Promotions, interjected that McGregor would lose a whole lot of money if he went down that road, so it isn’t likely to happen. UFC president Dana White has previously alluded to the fact that there is something in McGregor’s contract that would prevent him from doing anything out of traditional boxing rules in the matchup.

That didn’t stop McGregor from messing around with Floyd Sr. on Tuesday, though. The UFC lightweight champion said he’s set on returning to MMA for the very fact that he’d be able to compete again under that preferred ruleset. McGregor said boxing was “easy” to him, because of its limitations.

“I love a true fight,” McGregor said. “Elbows, knees, shin bones, foot. You ever bounce a shin bone off a nose bone? You ever dug an elbow into a temple? It’s an unusual thing. It’s an unusual thing when the elbow bone digs into the temple. It’s a nasty little one, but it’s something that I just enjoy. It’s something I love to do.”