The bluster in the build up to UFC 205 has been typically McGregorian, but like the American general election, there has been discussion of real economic issues amidst the bombast. The wages of UFC fighters came up on a recorded square-off last night between McGregor and Alvarez. McGregor was making his usual (and accurate) remarks about his financial pull in UFC pay-per-views when Alvarez decided to attack McGregor's well-publicised background as a social welfare recipient in his pre-megabucks days.
The exchange went as follows
CMG: Let's call a spade a spade. Without me, you're talking 115,000 buys. With me, your talking 2 million buys. Speak the truth.
EA: The UFC's good because of the fighters and the fights. You were on welfare bro. You ain't no man. You took welfare. Don't talk about money. You took money from single moms. Single moms go on welfare, not men. Don't even talk about money.
Judging solely on body language, Alvarez has seemed daunted by the presence of McGregor all week. He clearly doesn't have the loquacious skills of his opponent but his attacks on McGregor have been very weird. First he criticised Irish locution, now he has slammed all males who collect social welfare, in Ireland and elsewhere. It's an interesting perspective from an American. The gradual erosion of the American social welfare system began under the Clinton presidency and the effects of that decision were certainly felt Tuesday in America. Alvarez has shown his disgust for social welfare collectors, handing McGregor some more ammo tonight.
His body language during the Alvarez rant in the clip below was telling.
This exchange between Eddie Alvarez and Conor McGregor during a FOX Sports interview was fascinating. PPV buys, money and being on welfare. pic.twitter.com/USvqyI7s4V
— Chamatkar Sandhu (@SandhuMMA) November 12, 2016
