‘All over the place' – Conor McGregor brutally blasted for snubbing shock fight amid UFC hiatus
The UFC icon was on course to throw down with the social media sensation in a crossover boxing match on the former American prison Island.
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The shock showdown was seemingly trending in the right direction before former two-weight world champion McGregor walked away from the deal.
And KSI - real name Olajide Olayinka Williams Olatunji - has appeared to have given up hope of ever sharing the ring with The Notorious.
During an appearance on Misfits Boxing's YouTube Channel, he said: 'We had a fight set up and Conor said no.
"I don't know, it could be money, it could be his mindset [or] it could be a lot of reasons.
"Honestly, I don't think he knows what he's going to be doing the next day. He's all over the place.
"One minute, he wants to be the prime minister of Ireland, the next he wants to do a random side quest.
"Who cares. It is what it is. But let him do his thing. It is what it is. I'm going to just move on and do me."
McGregor, 36, claimed he pulled the plug on a bout with the YouTuber as the offer on the table didn't reflect his "worth".
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The Irishman said: " There was an opportunity, or should we say a deal, to fight on Alcatraz recently in June.
"And they came to me, and it wasn't my worth. As a fighter, we have to know our worth.
Conor McGregor explains reason for major career changes amid UFC 'plateau' as MMA return remains a mystery
"I hold every pay-per-view record in the book. I hold every gate record in the book."
McGregor hasn't fought since breaking his left leg in his trilogy fight with Dustin Poirier nearly four years ago.
He was set to return to the cage last June in a long-overdue showdown with Michael Chandler but pulled out of the bout with a broken left pinky toe.
The Irishman recently pleaded with UFC supremo Dana White to get the ball rolling on his comeback.
But the veteran promoter has poured cold water on the prospect of Mystic Mac fighting in the near future.
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The 55-year-old said: "He's not fighting anytime soon. I haven't talked to him in a minute.
"But yeah, I don't know when [he'll fight again]."
If McGregor does ever fight again, his next outing will be his first since being found civilly liable for assaulting Nikita Hand at a Dublin Hotel in December 2018.
The former two-division champion appealed the verdict returned at Dublin's High Court last November.
He hopes the introduction of new evidence will overturn the result of the civil trial.
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BBC News
2 minutes ago
- BBC News
All you need to know about All-Ireland ladies finals
The All-Ireland ladies football championship will reach a thrilling crescendo on Sunday with the senior, intermediate and junior titles all up for grabs across a triple-header at Croke Park. Antrim and Louth will collide in the junior final first up at 11:45 BST with the Saffrons hoping to lift the trophy for the first time since 2022. Tyrone are back in the intermediate decider after last year's heartbreak and will be hoping to go one better this time around against Laois at 13:45 BST. Finally, Dublin and Meath will meet in the senior final (16:15 BST) for the first time since a dramatic encounter won by the Royals in 2021. Age old rivals meet once again These two need no introduction to each other and their age-old rivalry dates back almost to the inception of the GAA. Their last meeting in the All-Ireland senior final marked the greatest day in the history of the Meath ladies footballers as they overcame the 'five-in-a-row' chasing Dubs to win their maiden crown at the grade. The pair have already met at Croke Park this year, with Dublin running out four-point winners in the Leinster final. Since that day both sides have progressed through the championship, navigating the various bumps in the road in contrasting have used thirty players over the course of their seven games while Meath have started with the same 14 players across the same period with young forward Kerrie Cole, a substitute in their Leinster opener, establishing her place in the team from that day. Meath accounted for the All-Ireland champions Kerry in the last four while Dublin needed extra time to eventually see off last years finalists Galway. The Royals will be hoping for a repeat of the 2021 and 2022 deciders to win just their third title and keep up their proud record of never losing a senior final. Dublin, meanwhile, are searching for their seventh title, and first since 2023, as they appear in their 14th Meath are to lift the trophy they'll be looking for big games from the Wall sisters, Sarah and Vikki, the latter's availability for the duration of the 2025 campaign coming after her WAFL will look to the scoring power of Hannah Tyrrell and Carla Rowe, the former the top scorer in this year's championship having provided 8-33. This one has all the ingredients of a classic. Dublin: A Shiels; J Tobin, L Caffrey, N Donlon; S Goldrick, M Byrne, N Crowley; É O'Dowd, H McGinnis; N Owens, C Rowe (capt), O Nolan; H Tyrrell, N Hetherton, K R Murray; Á Sheridan, MK Lynch, K Newe; A Cleary (capt), S Wall, K Kealy; O Sheehy, M Farrelly; M Thynne, N Gallogly, C Smyth; E Duggan, V Wall, K Cole. Red Hands hoping to go one better It was heartbreak at the final hurdle for Tyrone in the 2024 decider as they lost out to heavy underdogs Leitrim. Despite the setback, Tyrone have rallied to make it back to Croke Park and are hoping to make amends after a thrilling extra-time victory over Westmeath in the last four. Aoife Horisk (3-22) and Sorcha Gormley (6-11) have lead the Tyrone charge from a scoring point of view and will be hoping to bring that form to HQ on the biggest day of them all. Laois bring similar firepower after overcoming Ulster opposition in the form of Monaghan in the semi-finals with Emma Lawlor and Mo Nerney combining for 8-23 across the championship. A shoot-out is expected between two counties who are both searching for their fourth titles at the grade - Tyrone hoping for a first since 2018 while Laois' last victory came in winners will also be promoted to senior football for 2026. Laois: E Barry; S Farrelly, C Dunne, F McEvoy; A Gorman, A Moore, A Moran (capt); F Dooley, J Moore; S Havill, E Galvin, C Crowley; E Lacey, E Lawlor, M A Coyle; J Lyons, G McKenna, E Quinn; C Canavan, M Mallon, C Campbell; A McHugh (capt), S McCarroll; E McNamee, S Gormley, A Horisk; N O'Neill, C McCrossan, M Corrigan. Antrim back in the big time yet again It's back to the scene of the crime for Louth as they square up to Ulster opposition in the All-Ireland final for the second year in a row. Last year, they were beaten by Fermanagh who interestingly were the side Antrim defeated after a replay when they last lifted the title in 2022. This destination of the trophy is likely to be decided by an individual battle within the war as two of the most prolific forwards in the game go Maria O'Neill struck 2-2 in their semi-final win over Sligo to bring her personal tally for the summer to 8-16, while Katie Flood heads into the final with 3-24 to her name including 10 points in their last-four win over Longford. Both counties are hoping to win the title for the fourth time, the Saffrons for the first time since 2022 while Louth are hoping for their first win since A Devlin; N McIntosh, M Blaney, M Mulholland; S O'Neill, C Brown, C McKenna; A Mulholland, A Tubridy; T Mellon, M O'Neill, A Kelly; B Devlin (capt), O Dahunsi, L R Lambe Fagan; R Beirth, E Hand, E Murray; H Lambe Sally, S McLaughlin, L Byrne; A Breen (capt), A Halligan; L White, E Byrne, S Matthews; A Russell, K Flood, C Nolan.
Telegraph
2 minutes ago
- Telegraph
My Mrs Brown's Boys endurance test: I cried, cringed and almost laughed
Television's most divisive sitcom is back. Mrs Brown's Boys – widely reviled by critics but adored by millions of viewers – returned to BBC One on Friday night for a fresh four-part run. The full box set is available on BBC iPlayer, so fans can binge them all at once. And that's exactly what I'm doing: watching all four episodes back-to-back and chronicling my experience in an effort to understand the Mrs Brown phenomenon. Along the way, I'm going to keep a tally of the laughs and also those moments of pathos that prompt the studio audience into a collective, 'Aww'. Are the critics correct and it's really an unfunny aberration? Or are they hopelessly out of touch and, actually – steady yourselves – the show is rather good? With a four-pack of Guinness to hand (Irish stereotyping be damned), I press play with an open heart, hoping to be entertained… Episode 1: The Mammy Effect Those cartoon opening credits slightly set my teeth on edge, but let's not write it off just yet… 1 min: Proceedings open, as is traditional, with Agnes Brown (creator Brendan O'Carroll) talking directly to camera from her home in the scrappy Dublin suburb of Finglas. Grandad (Dermot O'Neill) is 'not feeling himself' and more armchair-bound than usual. 'Aww,' choruses the studio audience. 3 mins: Mrs Brown has a heart-to-heart with daughter Cathy (Jennifer Gibney, O'Carroll's real-life wife – confused yet?). Upon hearing that Cathy has a new boyfriend, Agnes is unimpressed: 'He'll pump you and dump you, then we'll all have to listen to Enya for a month while you survive on a diet of ice cream and vengeance.' Actually a well-written, well-observed line. Who knew? 5 mins: Thus begins the main plot of the episode: Cathy launching a new podcast . Mrs Brown's Boys is often dismissed as wilfully old-fashioned, but this feels pleasingly modern. 9 mins: Straight-talking Agnes unwittingly hijacks the podcast and becomes its breakout star. While this all-too-predictable turn of events sends Cathy into a tailspin, it becomes clear that the storyline is actually about their dysfunctional mother/daughter relationship, whereby the controlling Agnes accidentally ends up ruining everything that Cathy does. 18 mins: Eldest son Mark (Pat 'Pepsi' Shields) tries and fails to move Grandad from his armchair. 'It's pointless, Ma,' he sighs. Mrs Brown replies: 'Pointless? Could be worse. It could be The Chase.' O'Carroll apologises for this seemingly ad-libbed quip and the cast reset the scene. It's all part of the show's intentionally chaotic filming style. 21 mins: Breast-feeding, menopause, penises. Yep, we're back to the nudges, winks and lowest-common-denominator material. 29 mins: Time for the industry-standard happy ending. Mrs Brown admits that 'mothers can be cruel without realising' and 'we expect more of our daughters than we do of our sons'. This is verging on profound. Episode 2: Mammy's Talent We're back at the kitchen table for Mrs Brown's opening monologue. It's a misty-eyed riff on her impoverished upbringing with a couple of decent lines. 'My father invested all his money in sick horses. He didn't know they were sick when he backed them.' 'Growing up, all I had was hand-me-downs. I was the only girl in my ballet class with football boots.' Worthy of a 1970s club comic. 2 mins: Grandad drops the bombshell that he's planning to move into a care home, a prospect that makes Agnes panic and vow to find out why. This is followed by a volley of genitalia jokes. 4 mins: Mrs Brown gets a visit from her nemesis, local busybody Hilary Nicholson (comedy veteran Susie Blake, playing one of her trademark snobbish Englishwomen). Offered tea, she asks: 'Have you got anything herbal?' Agnes shrugs: 'My shampoo?' And, yes, I chuckle. 6 mins: As the action shifts to the pub, the Hilary baiting continues as she pompously quotes Latin. 'I've got the vox populi ' (Agnes: 'Well, keep using the cream twice a day'). Come for the toilet humour, stay for the classical references. 12 mins: Grandad unleashes a loud 'Feck off!' at parish priest Father Damien (Conor Moloney). O'Carroll has clearly been taking notes in front of Father Ted repeats. 15 mins: Everybody laments how sad it will be when Grandad leaves. Cue another round of 'Awws'. Mournful piano music strikes up. They're really milking this, but I can't help being drawn in and whimper slightly into my Guinness. 17 mins: Light relief comes from a talent show in the pub. 23 mins: Birdie overcomes her stage fright to lead an arm-swaying, lighters-aloft sing-along of 'That's What Friends Are For'. There's not a dry eye in Foley's Bar. Or, in fact, on my sofa. Sob! 25 mins: Happy ending time again. Agnes finally admits how she doesn't want Grandad to leave and begs him to stay. Before it gets too soppy, they exchange potty-mouthed insults and normal service is resumed. Phew. Time to open a second can of Guinness. Episode 3: Motor Mammy I feared this would be an endurance test. While I wouldn't say I'm a total Mrs Brown convert – not yet, anyway – I am enjoying it much more than I'd expected. Hang on, let me check the strength of this Guinness. 1 mins: We're flung straight into this episode's storyline: Winnie's impending driving test. Will the pedestrians of Dublin ever be safe again? These ponderous jokes aren't pulling their weight. I might have spoken too soon when it comes to enjoying myself. 3 mins: Buster and Dermot make their weekly entrance. This time, they're dressed in insect costumes, promoting pest control. At least the quality of the gags improves slightly. Birdie says: 'I was going to start a celebrity magazine for the elderly. I was going to call it 'HELLOOOOOO?' 5 mins: Uh-oh. Birdie has lost her pet snake. Something tells me this will become crucial later in the episode. 10 mins: A pub gossip session throws up some more resolutely unreconstructed gags. One woman's teeth are described as 'only short of the white one for a full snooker set'. 14 mins: Hilary has been campaigning for a new bus depot and now we learn why – her husband has lost his high-flying job and is secretly working as a bus driver. Even Agnes feels sorry for them. All together now: 'Aww.' 17 mins: Winnie's driving test arrives. So does a veritable traffic jam of phallic innuendoes. Just when Mrs Brown's Boys ambushes me with its emotional resonance, it reverts to type. 21 mins: Wait, I spoke too soon. There's a shock plot twist. Winnie is understandably distracted at the wheel by the presence of a snake inside the car. The vehicle mounts the pavement and hits a pedestrian. who turns out to be… dramatic pause… Mrs Brown. Cue gasps. 22 mins: With our heroine in an induced coma, family and friends gather at her hospital bedside. They share happy memories, which is essentially a chance to rewind some classic clips – including the infamous bikini wax. 27 mins: Ordained deacon Trevor Brown (Martin Delany) says fondly of Agnes: 'I remember how kind Mammy was when I told her I wanted to join the missions. She just smiled and said, 'A lot of men are gay'.' Mrs Brown's Boys might be written off as politically incorrect, but it occurs to me that it's more diverse than many assume,with the family spanning four generations. It boasts gay characters, priests, lonely widows and sexually active pensioners. It also happens to star a man in drag. 28 mins: Has tragedy struck? A consultant tells the assembled family that they need to turn the machine off. A cliffhanger leaves things agonisingly poised for the series finale. We play out with a poignant piano version of the theme song and a beeping heart monitor. Soapy but effective. Episode 4: Easy Rider Mammy There's a rare 'Previously on Mrs Brown's Boys…' pre-titles recap. Does that mean no title sequence for once? 1 min: No, here it comes. Even these cartoon credits are growing on me. I find myself humming along to the theme song. Worrying. 2 min: Sharp intakes of breath when bungling GP Dr Flynn (Derek Riddin) says, 'She's gone.' False alarm. Mammy merely has a herniated disc. Phew. As for 'turning off the machine', the consultant meant Birdy's noisy coffee machine. I feel manipulated but relieved. 4 mins: 'I'm home!' trills a familiar voice. Mrs Brown makes her entrance on a mobility scooter to a raucous reception. 9 mins: Another peek behind the comedy curtain as Agnes drives her granny wagon from one set to another, chatting to the camera crew as she goes. If Fleabag had done this, it would have been hailed as avant-garde genius. 12 mins: The mobility scooter causes more mayhem at the Wash & Blow salon. Never let it be said that Mrs Brown doesn't milk a gag for every last drop. 19 mins: Dermot and Buster present Agnes with a surprise gift: an automatic recline-and-rise armchair. Hark, I hear more slapstick opportunities coming over the horizon. 27 mins: A chaotic final sequence sees Agnes wearing a sombrero (best not to ask) and getting rumbled for faking her injuries. Yes, she can walk after all. It's a medical miracle. As everyone takes her to task , she slumps into her new armchair. It promptly malfunctions, blows up and throws her across the room. After one last cuppa, we roll credits on the series. Mercifully, my Mrs Brown's Boys marathon is at an end. But what have I learnt? Yes, what have I learnt? To my surprise, I realise I have actually been sucked in by the pathos of several storylines. The humour might be hit-and-miss, but the emotion isn't. This is a show about family, friendship and community. Unfashionable topics in our fractured age, perhaps, but the new series does have huge warmth… Sure, it's frequently panto-adjacent (oh, yes it is), but it also plays with the sitcom form, with fourth-wall breaks and knowing nods to its own artifice. It's unabashedly working class and exists far outside the metropolitan bubble. The liberal elite might blanch, but it's not for them. Ratings have declined from a blockbuster peak of 11 million, but it still pulls in 4 million loyal viewers – figures that most comedies (and many dramas) would kill for. In an era when critically lauded comedies often struggle to get recommissioned, such review-proof longevity is surely to be applauded. I'll raise a pint of the black stuff at Foley's Bar to that. Mrs Brown's Boys airs on Fridays at 9.30pm on BBC One. The whole series is available on BBC iPlayer now
BreakingNews.ie
2 minutes ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Country music singer Jeannie Seely dies aged 85
Jeannie Seely, the soulful country music singer behind such standards as Don't Touch Me, has died at the age of 85. Her publicist, Don Murry Grubbs, said she died on Friday after succumbing to complications from an intestinal infection. Advertisement Known as Miss Country Soul for her unique vocal style, Seely was a trailblazer for women in country music, celebrated for her spirited nonconformity and for a string of undeniable hits in the 1960s and 1970s. Her second husband, Gene Ward, died in December. In May, Seely revealed that she was in recovery after undergoing multiple back surgeries, two emergency procedures and spending 11 days in the ICU. She also suffered a bout of pneumonia. 'Rehab is pretty tough, but each day is looking brighter and last night, I saw a light at the end of the tunnel. And it was neon, so I knew it was mine,' she said in a statement at the time. Advertisement 'The unsinkable Seely is working her way back.' Dolly Parton was one of several country music luminaries paying her tribute on Friday, saying she met Seely when they were both young and starting out in Nashville. 'She was one of my dearest friends,' Parton said on her social media accounts. Jeannie Seely performs at the 2018 medallion ceremony at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville (Photo by Al Wagner/Invision/AP) 'I think she was one of the greater singers in Nashville and she had a wonderful sense of humour. We had many wonderful laughs together, cried over certain things together and she will be missed.' Advertisement Seely was born in July 1940, in Titusville, Pennsylvania, about two hours north of Pittsburgh and raised in nearby Townville. Her love of country music was instant; her mother sang, and her father played the banjo. When she was a child, she sang on local radio shows and performed on local television. She had a number of country hits in the '60s and '70s, including three Top 10 hits on what is now known as Billboard's hot country songs chart: Don't Touch Me; 1967's I'll Love You More (Than You Need); and 1973's Can I Sleep In Your Arms?, adapted from the folk song, Can I Sleep In Your Barn Tonight Mister? In the years since, Seely continued to release albums, perform, and host, regularly appearing on country music programming. Her songs are considered classics, and have been recorded by everyone from Merle Haggard, Ray Price and Connie Smith to Ernest Tubb, Grandpa Jones, and Little Jimmy Dickens. Advertisement She appeared nearly 5,400 times at the Grand Ole Opry, which she had been a member of since 1967. Grubbs said Saturday's Grand Ole Opry show would be dedicated to Seely.
