Floyd Mayweather continues to taunt Conor McGregor by labelling Tyron Woodley 'the best UFC fighter'

Floyd Mayweather has cranked up the pressure ahead of his blockbuster fight against Conor McGregor, by mockingly claiming that the the UFC two-weight world champion is far from the best fighter in the Octagon.

Instead, Mayweather thinks that accolade should go to Tyron Woodley, the current UFC Welterweight Champion who bears a 17-3 MMA record.

McGregor, the reigning UFC Lightweight Champion and former Featherweight title-holder, is considered an underdog in the bout, which takes place on August 26 at the T-Mobile Arena on the glamorous Las Vegas strip.

The Irishman is renowned for his stand-up skills within the MMA community but has never before been involved in a professional match. His fight with Mayweather will involve traditional boxing rules, which means he will not be able to use the kicks or grappling techniques standard in MMA fights.

And Mayweather, who is unbeaten in the ring and hopes to improve his record to 50-0, questioned McGregor’s supremacy in the UFC as a part of the pre-fight trash-talking.

The 40-year-old former five-division champion posted a video online in which he poses alongside Internet celebrity Dan Blizerian, performer Lin Oeding, and Woodley, and says: “This is the best UFC fighter right here!”

Woodley then had his own jibe at McGregor, captioning the post on Instagram: “#MoneyMay has something to say!!!! #BestUFCFighter @ufc @floydmayweather and @danbilzerian and @linoeding there for Back up in case @thenotoriousmma has something to say”.

Woodley has won his last five fights, winning his Welterweight belt at UFC 201 in July 2016, by beating Robbie Lawler.

However McGregor is ranked higher in the UFC hierarchy. The organisation’s president Dana White has said the Irishman would become the “biggest superstar in sports” if he beat Mayweather, and McGregor sits above Woodley in the UFC's own Pound-for-Pound rankings.