The 39 year-old, speaking from Miami where Mayweather is taking in the World Boxing Council’s 54th Annual Convention, the American believes he called the UFC champion’s bluff when approaching White.
McGregor was handed a license to box in the State of California, which prompted Mayweather to give his first reaction to the news as he took time off from mingling with fellow legends.
“Man, I don’t fight in California. What did he get a license in California for?” Mayweather told FightHype.com on a live Facebook feed from Florida.
“He’s blowing smoke up everybody’s a**. He don’t really wanna fight because I went to his boss. He don’t want to fight, he’s just doing that to keep his name alive, to stay relevant.
“He’s doing that to build his followers. He’s smart,” added the five-time world title holder.
Mayweather hasn’t fought since September 2015 when defeating Andre Berto in a predictably low earner but has stated on many occasions since that money is no factor in whether he does return to the ring.
For McGregor, paychecks in MMA don’t match-up to what could be made crossing codes to challenge Mayweather, which could net the Irishman at least an eight-figure sum for his troubles.
The pair had previously instigated publicity for a contest, although McGregor being denied a license in Las Vegas has added another stumbling block to what is already a tough fight to nail down.
