McGregor kills two birds with one epic social sledge

Everything about the run-up to the August 27 (Australian time) fight between boxing legend Floyd Mayweather and UFC superstar Conor McGregor has carried at least a whiff of the intentionally ludicrous and over-the-top histrionics of professional wrestling.

It's only natural, then, that the NBA's reigning top heel would eventually find himself caught up in the ultra-loud trash-talking crossfire.

Early Sunday morning, Draymond Green took to Instagram to express his displeasure with a photo of the Irish mixed martial artist wearing a Golden State Warriors jersey with the No. 23 - Green's number, albeit in an older version of the Warriors' home jerseys than Draymond has ever worn - at some point:

"We rocking with Floyd bro not you… take that off bruh @thenotoriousmma," Green wrote in the post's caption.

Shortly thereafter, Mayweather popped into the comments of the post with an apparent vote of approval for Green’s support, writing, "Splash for the cash," followed by the hashtags #warriors and #michigan. (That Green played his college ball for Michigan State, rather than in Ann Arbor, is neither here nor there.)

Never one to allow anyone else to get the last word if he can help it, McGregor showed up in the comments, too, taking Green to task and clarifying just whose No. 23 he was wearing:

"That’s C.J Watson mate," McGregor wrote. "I don’t know who the f*** you are. No disrespect tho kid, keep hustling and stay in school.

"Now ask yourself why I'm rocking C.j when I don't know or give a f*** about basketball," McGregor continued. "I dribble heads off the floor. Not a ball. This is no game here kid."

Perhaps you, too, are wondering why McGregor would choose the No. 23 that C.J. Watson wore for the Warriors between 2008 and 2010.

Back in September of 2010, Mayweather was arrested and charged with grand larceny, robbery, coercion, harassment and domestic battery stemming from an incident in which Mayweather reportedly struck Josie Harris, the mother of three of Mayweather’s children.

The incident centred around an alleged relationship between C.J Watson and Harris - who was estranged from Mayweather at the time and living in one of his houses with their children.

Watson later reportedly denied dating Harris.

Mayweather would eventually reach an agreement in which he pleaded guilty to a reduced battery charge and no contest to two charges of harassment, resulting in him being sentenced to serve 90 days in jail, complete 100 hours of community service and pay a $2,500 fine.

Mayweather started serving his sentence in June of 2012, and was was released on Aug. 3, after only two months, for good behaviour.

The incident is one of many in Mayweather's past that are related to domestic violence.

Lest we be in any way confused by McGregor's chosen method of angering/insulting/trolling/whatever his opponent, we need only look back six months for evidence of the UFC champion taking this particular tack in his "trash talk" with Mayweather:

Unsurprisingly, nothing McGregor said or intimated did much to change Green's mind:

"Hahahahaha that number won't be worn again when I'm finished with it clown!" Green wrote in a comment replying to McGregor. "[Olympic] Gold medalist, NBA champ, all star, DPOY etc!!! Hahahaha stop it boy! Nate Diaz(Bay Area stand up) whooped you in your ring! [NOTE: McGregor evened the score with Diaz five months later.] Money May about to destroy you!!! Take that warrior jersey off bruh you're an incredible internet troll we don't rock with you! Go train bum!!”