http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid4621179066001?bckey=AQ~~,AAAABvaL8JE~,ufBHq_I6FnxR-PQW_F3sm5QdUbP7D6E9&bctid=5534174742001
Filed under: Bellator, Blue Corner, Featured Videos, News, UFC

A new edition of ESPN The Magazine hits newsstands on Friday. It’s “The Fighting Issue,” and it features Conor McGregor on the cover.

But it’s more than just coverage of McGregor (21-3 MMA, 9-1 UFC) inside ahead of his blockbuster boxing match against Floyd Mayweather (49-0 boxing) , which is set for Aug. 26 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The pay-per-view event is expected to be the most lucrative prize fight of all time.

Naturally, there is plenty of MayMac content inside. But the issue goes beyond that megafight.

Included in the issue, courtesy of ESPN:

• And the Fighter Still Remains: Through the eyes of part-time boxer Jose Haro, senior writer Tom Junod uncovers the driving forces that compel so many boxers to compete in a sport that takes so much from them and seemingly gives so little. Junod highlights Haro’s love-hate relationship with boxing, chronicling the fighter’s June title victory over featherweight Daniel “Twitch” Franco that nearly killed Franco.
• Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino: Cristiane Justino, also known as “Cyborg” Justino, is the most fearsome women’s MMA fighter on the planet—but these days, she often wonders whether the weight cutting that could push her body to severe dehydration, heatstroke or even heart failure has been worth it. Justino’s body, a sculpted 5-foot-8, 170-pound weapon, is her greatest asset. It is also her most formidable obstacle—at once the root of her successes—and failures. At age 32, the 12-year veteran has finally found a stage to match the talent her team insists is unrivaled. In July, she competed in and won her first UFC belt in UFC 214. (Read the story online now here.)
• Portrait of a Mixed Martial Artist: In a gritty two-page photo spread, the post-fight faces of several mixed martial artists who competed in June’s Bellator 180 at New York’s Madison Square Garden show the euphoria of victory and the bitterness of defeat in every cut and bruise.

Of course, if it’s MayMac content you want, the issue obviously will have plenty of it, as well:

• What Makes Mayweather Money: Floyd Mayweather’s former sparring partners, among them current IBF welterweight champ Errol Spence Jr., DeMarcus Corley and Zab Judah, discuss the many offensive, defensive and mental weapons that have helped Mayweather get to 49–0 – all the things Conor McGregor will have to be prepared for when he steps into the ring.
• Why We Watch: Real, Not Pretty: Award-winning author and boxing fan Walter Mosley offers his take on why people watch boxing and are drawn to the Mayweather-McGregor fight. He writes that boxing, both beautiful and brutal, reveals parts of ourselves we need to see, describing it as “the poetry of the working class.” Mosley also examines the reasons sports fans continue to support Mayweather despite the fighter’s violent dark side.
• Why We Won’t Watch: No Good Guys Here: The Undefeated senior writer and commentator LZ Granderson provides a different take—why some people won’t watch the matchup. Between McGregor’s racist barbs and Mayweather’s homophobic jabs, Granderson says there is little to root for and no good reason to tune in.
• Tale of the Tape: Will the boxer or the brawler come out on top? Insiders Dan Rafael and Brett Okamoto go toe to toe with their predictions. The bottom line: It will be a long night for McGregor.

For more on “The Money Fight: Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor,” check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.

The Blue Corner is MMAjunkie‘s official blog and is edited by Mike Bohn.

Filed under: Bellator, Blue Corner, Featured Videos, News, UFC