UFC PRESIDENT DANA White says he doesn’t know if Conor McGregor will ever return to the octagon as negotiations over a lightweight title defence continue.
McGregor has not fought for the promotion since winning the lightweight belt from Eddie Alvarez at Madison Square Garden in November of last year, with the Dubliner not expected to fight again in 2017.
The 29-year-old made his professional boxing debut against Floyd Mayweather in August, and the lucrative payday from that fight has White fearing McGregor doesn’t have the same appetite as he did.
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“Conor might never fight again,” White said yesterday. “The guy’s got $100 million. I’ve got guys that made less than that and were lawyers and went to school their whole life and quit working.
“We need to figure that out. Right now, with him it’s not about defend or vacate. We’re working on a new deal with him right now.
“If Conor wants to fight again, absolutely we want Conor to come fight. But if Conor walks away and doesn’t ever want to fight again, it’s part of the game.”
Since coming off that Las Vegas fight with Mayweather, McGregor has remained in the headlines for all the wrong reasons, most notably after entering the octagon during a Bellator event in Dublin and pushing the referee.
When asked about McGregor’s recent behaviour, White expressed some concern.
“He’s a young, rich kid who is a God in Ireland,” he said. “That’s not the healthiest environment either. It’s all part of it. I don’t know if you guys remember in the very beginning with Jon Jones. There’s no doubt the talent was there. I used to go, ‘The guy is talented, but he’s young, he’s rich, he’s the king of the world now. Hopefully he can keep it together.’ That was way before the crazy shit started to happen. And there it is. It happens.
“What’s weird is it happens more in this sport, in fighting, in the fighting business, more than any other sport.”
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'Conor might never fight again': Dana White unsure of McGregor's UFC future
UFC PRESIDENT DANA White says he doesn’t know if Conor McGregor will ever return to the octagon as negotiations over a lightweight title defence continue.
McGregor has not fought for the promotion since winning the lightweight belt from Eddie Alvarez at Madison Square Garden in November of last year, with the Dubliner not expected to fight again in 2017.
The 29-year-old made his professional boxing debut against Floyd Mayweather in August, and the lucrative payday from that fight has White fearing McGregor doesn’t have the same appetite as he did.
“Conor might never fight again,” White said yesterday. “The guy’s got $100 million. I’ve got guys that made less than that and were lawyers and went to school their whole life and quit working.
“We need to figure that out. Right now, with him it’s not about defend or vacate. We’re working on a new deal with him right now.
Since coming off that Las Vegas fight with Mayweather, McGregor has remained in the headlines for all the wrong reasons, most notably after entering the octagon during a Bellator event in Dublin and pushing the referee.
When asked about McGregor’s recent behaviour, White expressed some concern.
“He’s a young, rich kid who is a God in Ireland,” he said. “That’s not the healthiest environment either. It’s all part of it. I don’t know if you guys remember in the very beginning with Jon Jones. There’s no doubt the talent was there. I used to go, ‘The guy is talented, but he’s young, he’s rich, he’s the king of the world now. Hopefully he can keep it together.’ That was way before the crazy shit started to happen. And there it is. It happens.
“What’s weird is it happens more in this sport, in fighting, in the fighting business, more than any other sport.”
The42 has just published its first book, Behind The Lines, a collection of some of the year’s best sports stories. Pick up your copy in Eason’s, or order it here today (€10):
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