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Nicolas Atkin

You got the feeling Conor McGregor wouldn’t stay quiet for long after Floyd Mayweather’s farcical first-round knockout win over Tenshin Nasukawa on New Year’s Eve.
The undefeated American boxer knocked the 20-year-old Japanese kick-boxer down three times at the Rizin 14 show in Saitama, near Tokyo, on Monday night.
Nasukawa, who weighed in 4kg lighter than 41-year-old Mayweather, is 4-0 in mixed martial arts fights and 27-0 in kick-boxing but was utterly outclassed with the rules kept to boxing for the three-round “exhibition” fight.
Mayweather picked up US$9 million for just 139 seconds of work, which prompted mockery from his old rival.
Floyd Mayweather v Tenshin Nasukawa ‘fake’? Rigged or not, farcical fight spits in face of fans

Floyd Mayweather the greatest businessman in the world, $9 million dollars for this #MayweatherNasukawapic.twitter.com/wyZKeTVlBF
— Benjamin Harris (@HarrisCBenjamin) December 31, 2018

“That 9 million won’t keep you on top of my list for long, kid,” tweeted McGregor, referencing Forbes magazine’s highest-paid athletes list, with a picture promoting his personal whiskey brand, Proper Twelve.
Mayweather topped Forbes’ most-recent list in 2018, ahead of football superstars Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, with McGregor in fourth.
The fight was Mayweather’s first since a 10th-round TKO victory over former two-weight UFC champion McGregor in August 2017.
“Champ, champ with all due respect I don’t think you want that smoke again,” responded Leonard Ellerbe, CEO of Mayweather’s promotional company, on Twitter.
Manny Pacquiao rips Floyd Mayweather’s win over Tenshin Nasukawa

That 9 milli won’t keep you on top of my list for long, kid. #Forbesy pic.twitter.com/zyjzKFYPq1
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) January 1, 2019

Not one to let others have the last word, McGregor shot back again.
“I’m the one with the flamethrower, Leonard,” he wrote. “Call me Elon. Your guys got nothing but girl collection. And there they call him John.”
Mayweather was also criticised by Manny Pacquiao for taking on the Nasukawa fight.
“Here is an early New Year’s resolution. To continue to only fight experienced opponents who are my size or bigger,” tweeted the Filipino, who lost a unanimous decision to Mayweather in 2015 in the richest fight in history.
Users on social media also tore into Mayweather but “Money” defended himself after the fight.
Easy Money as Mayweather pounds Nasukawa in first-round TKO victory

“It was all about entertainment – we had a lot of fun,” Mayweather said. “They wanted this to happen in Japan, so I said ‘why not?’
“I’m still undefeated. Tenshin is still undefeated. Tenshin is a true champion and a hell of a fighter.
“I want the fans around the world to support Tenshin, he’s a great guy and a great champion.”
McGregor himself has not fought since a fourth-round submission defeat by UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov in October.
The bout was marred by a post-fight brawl between the two stars’ teams in Las Vegas, which could see the Irishman and the Russian sanctioned, but UFC president Dana White suggested a rematch is on the cards for 2019.

“A lot of people want to see that fight, but we haven’t gone before the Nevada State Athletic Commission, that’s got to happen and when it does we can figure how this plays out,” White told TMZ.
“Is [UFC featherweight champion] Max [Holloway] moving to 155? Tony Ferguson is in the mix, so we’ve got to see how it plays out.
“I do [think the fight will happen in 2019], the guys are going to have to win ... it depends how long the suspensions are. but as long as everything goes right this fight should happen.”


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Floyd Mayweather

Conor McGregor mocks Floyd Mayweather’s knockout of Tenshin Nasukawa at Rizin 14

Floyd Mayweather Jnr knocks Japanese kick-boxer Tenshin Nasukawa down in an exhibition boxing. Photo: EPA

epa07255471 US former boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. (L) reacts after knocking Japanese kickboxer Tenshin Nasukawa in an exhibition boxing match during the RIZIN.14 mixed martial arts event at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, north of Tokyo, Japan, 31 December 2018. EPA-EFE/KIYOSHI OTA

FILE - In this Oct. 7, 2018, file photo, Khabib Nurmagomedov, right, takes down Conor McGregor during a lightweight title mixed martial arts bout at UFC 229 in Las Vegas, Nevada fight regulators postponed until next month hearings on suspensions against UFC fighters Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov for a brawl after their October match in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher, File)

Floyd Mayweather v Tenshin Nasukawa ‘fake’? Rigged or not, farcical fight spits in face of fans

Floyd Mayweather smiles after knocking down Tenshin Nasukawa in the first round at Rizin 14. Photo: Rizin Fighting Federation/Handout via Reuters

epa07255477 US former boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. (R) waves to fans with Japanese kickboxer Tenshin Nasukawa after an exhibition boxing match during the RIZIN.14 mixed martial arts event at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, north of Tokyo, Japan, 31 December 2018. EPA-EFE/KIYOSHI OTA

Floyd Mayweather shows off his winnings on his Instagram story.

Japanese kickboxer Tenshin Nasukawa lies on the mat after being knocked out by Floyd Mayweather Jr. during first round of their three-round exhibition match on New Year's Eve, at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, north of Tokyo, Monday, Dec. 31, 2018. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)

epa07255663 US former boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. (L) in action against Japanese kickboxer Tenshin Nasukawa in an exhibition boxing match during the RIZIN.14 mixed martial arts event at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, north of Tokyo, Japan, 31 December 2018. EPA-EFE/KIYOSHI OTA

In this handout photograph taken on December 31, 2018 and released by Rizin Fighting Federation, Japanese Kickboxer Tenshin Nasukawa (R) receives the count from referee during his exhibition match against US boxing legend Floyd Mayweather Jr at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama. - Floyd Mayweather beat Japanese kickboxing phenomenon Tenshin Nasukawa by a technical knock-out in the first round of a New Year's Eve "exhibition" bout that brought the US boxing superstar out of retirement. (Photo by Handout / various sources / AFP) / ---EDITORS NOTE --- RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO / 2015 RIZIN FF" - NO MARKETING - NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS - NO ARCHIVES ---

Sport

Boxing

Martial Arts

UFC star takes shot at boxer’s pay cheque for ‘exhibition’ fight
Mayweather US$9 million richer after 139-second win


UFC star takes a shot at boxer’s pay cheque for ‘exhibition’ fight, with ‘Money’ now US$9 million richer after 139-second victory on New Year’s Eve in Japan


Kickboxing

Martial arts

Conor McGregor mocks Floyd Mayweather’s knockout of Tenshin Nasukawa at Rizin 14

.css-1mniedq{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;}UFC star takes shot at boxer’s pay cheque for ‘exhibition’ fight Mayweather US$9 million richer after 139-second win

UFC star takes shot at boxer’s pay cheque for ‘exhibition’ fight

Mayweather US$9 million richer after 139-second win