Conor McGregor sparks racism row with Floyd Mayweather after Rocky III reference
The Irish superstar appeared to call black people 'monkeys' during an interview at their New York press conference
CONOR McGREGOR has sparked another racism row after comments after the UFC star appeared to call black people 'monkeys'.
The Irishman is due to face Floyd Mayweather on August 26 in Las Vegas with the pair trading verbal insults on their press tour.
But after the latest stop in New York, McGregor was asked by Guillermo from the comedy Jimmy Kimmel Live! who would win in a fight between him and Sylvester Stallone's character in Rocky III.
McGregor said: "Rocky III, that's the one where he had that celebrity gym isn't it?
"With the dancing monkeys in the gym and all."
His comments have led some to suggest the MMA superstar was referring to a scene when Rocky Balboa walks into a gym full of black fighters.
Mayweather hit back at McGregor, saying his opponent had 'crossed the line' with his comments and claimed he lacked maturity.
He said: "I don't like the fact that he called blacks monkeys, I think that's totally disrespectful.
"But it's all about maturity, it's all about growth and, mentally, he still can be young so my thing is to go out there and do my job.
"That's to go out there and fight, not to really worry about racism. But racism still exists.
"But we have to try and get past that and be positive."
The subject of racism has cropped up before on the media tour ahead of the mega-fight.
McGregor told Mayweather to 'dance for me boy' which has negative connotations linked with slavery in the USA.
Dublin-born McGregor then brought the subject back up in the Big Apple saying: "Do they not know I'm half black? I'm half black from the belly button down."
Undefeated Mayweather then claimed McGregor would lose a lot of fans after his recent comments.
He said: "This is an event where two fighters are competing against one another.
"But saying a lot of racist things like toward black women, I have two black daughters, a black mother and of course I'm a black man.
"I have a diverse team though. My staff is very diverse....he's crossing a line but I can't really focus on that right now...but he's losing a lot of fans by doing that."