Floyd Mayweather trend is embarrassing

We get it, you don’t ask, you don’t get. And one of the easiest ways for a fighter looking for attention to put their name up in lights is to attach themselves to someone that needs no introduction.

Floyd Mayweather, with a helping hand from Dana White, put himself in this position too by claiming he and the UFC president are “working together again to bring the world another spectacular event in 2020” after the roaring financial success of his fight against Conor McGregor in 2017.

But it’s prompted far too many UFC fighters to call out the undefeated boxing legend and it reached embarrassing levels on Tuesday when Bryce Mitchell threw his hat in the ring.

If you don’t know Mitchell’s name, we don’t blame you. He’s a rising MMA star coming off a spectacular submission win last weekend, but it was just his third bout in the UFC and seven fights before the main event.

Despite not even being ranked inside the featherweight division’s top 15 entering the bout against Matt Sayles, Mitchell thinks he’s worthy of a fight against arguably the best boxer of the past 20 years.

Asked by ESPN reporter Ariel Helwani who he’d like to fight next, Mitchell produced some A-grade garbage.

“I don’t know if I want to do it now and I haven’t really thought about it. I just woke up and I actually got my first day of good sleep,” he said.

“I’ll tell you who. I’ve never called anyone out in my career (but) there is one person I’m going to call out real quick and that’s Floyd Mayweather.

“He said MMA is for stupid white dudes who can’t box … I’ll box him. He’s talking about he wants to come over and box a UFC fighter, I’ll beat his ass … he fights like a b****.”

Mitchell’s rant continued further but it’s rubbish not worth repeating. Unfortunately he’s not alone.
 

Disgraced former bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw — currently serving a two-year ban after testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs — also used an appearance on Helwani’s show to argue his case for a fight against the 50-0 Mayweather.

“Mayweather wants a UFC star that’s good at striking,” Dillashaw said, two weeks ago. “I’ve got a whole year to reinvent myself to become a boxer. I’ve got the who’s-who in the boxing world. I can train with the Lomachenkos, Terence Crawfords – he ain’t going to be able to wear me out and finish me because of my cardio. I think that’s a very intriguing fight. I’d love to get that Mayweather fight, not even for the money – just for the fact of proving us UFC fighters (have) got what it takes to get in that ring.”

“I think Conor McGregor did a great job of showing what we can do, and that our movements are awkward and that it’s tough for (boxers) to deal with, and I’ve seen it myself in the boxing world,” Dillashaw said. “I think that would be a super intriguing thing to get involved in, and I’ve got the time to do it.”
 

Max Holloway has done it too. We won’t put the Hawaiian in the same basket as Mitchell and Dillashaw because he was just answering a question, but the current featherweight champion told TMZ he’s also open to a Mayweather fight this week.

“I would love to do that,” Holloway said. “He’s one of the best guys to ever do it. And, to share the boxing ring with him, it would be a checklist for sure.”

White doesn’t expect to sit down with Mayweather and his promoter Al Hayman until March next year to thrash out the possibility of a date in October or November.

If we’re going to average three UFC fighters a fortnight calling the 42-year-old out, they’re going to have a long list of candidates to consider. Or not even bother mentioning.