LAST WORDS

“THE THING ABOUT JACK JOHNSON AND JOE LOUIS AND MUHAMMAD ALI IS THEY TRANSCENDED THEIR SPORT IN NUMEROUS WAYS. ... I’VE NEVER HEARD FLOYD MAYWEATHER COMMENTING ON RACE BEFORE, TAKING ANY KIND OF SOCIAL POSITION. HE’S JUST BEEN A BOXER. HE’S NEVER TRANSCENDED HIS SPORT.”

“WE HAVE A VERY POLARIZED AND VERY CONFLICTED RACIAL ENVIRONMENT RIGHT NOW. AND I’M SURE MCGREGOR PROBABLY HAS A LOT OF WHITE SUPREMACISTS THAT ARE ROOTING FOR HIM.”

Jeffrey T. Sammons, history professor at New York University and author of “Beyond The Ring: The Role of Boxing in American Society,” to The Washington Post about the issue of race around the fight.