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Former five-division boxing world champion Floyd Mayweather was caught on tape in a heated verbal exchange with Indiana Pacers' mascot Boomer, during a recent NBA in-season tournament game. This incident was reminiscent of the first UFC double division champion Conor McGregor's staged altercation with the Miami Heat mascot.
The incident unfolded in Las Vegas, where the pugilistic legend was spectating LeBron James and the LA Lakers dominate the Pacers. At one point during the match, he was seen arguing with the mascot about a foul given to the Indianapolis side.
It's unlikely that anything 'Boomer' said back to the boxer could be heard from under his large mask. However, that didn't stop the mascot from motioning his disagreement through gestures, further prolonging the back and forth between the duo.
Watch Floyd Mayweather argue with Boomer below:
Interestingly, this is far from the first time a combat sports athlete has had disagreements with NBA mascots. Earlier in June, UFC star Conor McGregor was involved in a similar, albeit a bit more violent, incident.
In June, 'The Notorious' was in Miami at Game 4 of the NBA finals between the home side, Heats, and the Denver Nuggets. At one point, he was called out to the court for what seemed to be a pre-planned sparring skit with the home side mascot, Burnie.
Suffice it to say, the skit didn't go as planned. McGregor initially cracked Burnie with a thunderous left hand, followed by another ground strike before officials stepped between the duo.
According to a report by MMA Mania, the man inside the costume had to be sent to the ER and needed pain medication after the incident.
When Khabib Nurmagomedov dissed Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor
Besides their complications with NBA mascots, Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather share another history. In 2017, the duo engaged in a historic boxing match.
While McGregor lost the fight via 10th-round TKO, it was truly engaging to witness how an elite MMA striker matches up against one of the greatest boxers ever.
However, the Irishman's former arch-rival Khabib Nurmagomedov doesn't consider it a "real fight." During one of Eagle FC's pre-fight shows, he said:
"Not many people care[d] about this fight. It was like [a] historical event, MMA champion vs. boxing champion... Many people, they don't even remember what happened inside that fight. For me, it was not [a] real fight because this guy [McGregor] [is] not a real boxer... For me, it was more of a fake fight."
Catch Khabib Nurmagomedov's comments below:
