Conor McGregor’s Post-Fight Comment About Mexicans Causes a Stir Online

Conor McGregor may have lost on Saturday when he fought against Floyd Mayweather Jr., but he held his own and impressed most of the viewers watching at home.

While he isn’t getting much heat for his fighting skills, he is getting a mixed reaction about one of his comments after the match.

As shown in the clip above, the UFC told an in-ring interviewer that he “turned [Mayweather] into a Mexican tonight” and that Mayweather “fought like a Mexican.”

This comment puzzled most, as it was unclear what his intention was. He seemed to saying joyous and jokingly, but the meaning was unclear. McGregor has been previously criticized for making possibly racist remarks, so onlookers thought he may have made a had made another crude remark.

Boxing experts, such as Sports Illustrated‘s Dan Gartland, clarified that McGregor’s presumed intention was to compare Mayweather’s aggressive later rounds to the stereotype of Mexican fighters having an aggressive in-ring presence. However, that still isn’t totally acceptable to say.

“Mayweather’s style in the second half of the fight, then, could be considered one stereotypically associated with a Mexican fighter,” Gartland wrote. “Sure, Mexicans like Oscar De La Hoya have employed such a style with great success but a fighter doesn’t have to be from Mexico to box that way, as Kazakhstan’s Gennady Golovkin does. So while McGregor’s comment wasn’t overtly racist and certainly didn’t have malicious intent, it’s still based on a stereotype.”

While the confused takes continued, many learn its true intention and were much more accepting of the remark.