Hugs and Hype: Stephen Espinoza Explains Ending His Feud with Conor McGregor

Back in 2017, the press tour for the Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor boxing match was wild. It also started a big, angry fight between McGregor and Stephen Espinoza, the boss of Showtime Sports. During a press conference, a microphone stopped working. McGregor blamed Espinoza, yelled at him on stage, and called him a "weasel." For years, fans never forgot that insult, and the bad feelings stayed between them.

Now, that famous problem is officially over. Speaking on a recent sports show, Espinoza explained how they finally made peace. The surprise meeting happened late at night at a venue in Las Vegas eighteen months ago. Instead of a fight, the interaction was actually very friendly and warm.

Espinoza said that McGregor saw him across the room and called out his name in a nice way. When Espinoza walked over, the UFC star immediately gave his old enemy a hug. However, Espinoza’s wife was standing right there, and she was still upset about how McGregor had insulted her husband in the past. She looked at McGregor and told him directly that she did not like what he did.

McGregor handled the situation very well. He smiled, praised her for defending her husband, and explained that the whole feud was just a show. He said it was all done to sell tickets and break television records, and he did not actually mean any of it. He asked her not to stay mad, and this honest talk completely cleared the air. One of the biggest corporate rivalries in fighting is now just history.