Ultimate Fighting Championship chief Dana White isn’t so sure Conor McGregor will ever fight again.Speak with Complex newsthe UFC president and CEO discussed a wide range of topics, ranging from the much-discussed UFC White House card to the state of a few divisions — and even briefly shrugged off a question about YouTuber boxer Jake Paul. White didn’t have many definitive answers, mostly suggesting that upcoming events must play out to determine who faces whom, when and where.
Notable were a few questions about superstar McGregor, who has been on the shelf since breaking his leg during his failed rubber match with Dustin Poirier in 2021. The Irishman, who has since married and has also been the subject of many legal issues ranging from being found liable for sexual assault to ongoing investigations into the beating of several individuals, was once booked for a 2024 match with Michael Chandler that did not materialize. The two served as coaches on the 31st season of ‘The Ultimate Fighter,’ and a foot injury for McGregor knocked him out of that duo.Although Chandler has since fought twice more since that canceled fight, he has always sought the McGregor match, regularly shouting “Notorious” and even suggesting the fight would happen at the beginning of the year. White disagreed.
“No, that was a few years ago,” White replied dismissively about the upcoming clash between McGregor and Chandler. He reiterated that despite McGregor’s pleas to be part of the event against “Iron Mike,” there is no plan for them to clash.
We’ll see how it turns out
“We’ll see if Conor comes back or not,” White noted. “We’ve been talking about it for a while. We’ll see how it turns out. But I don’t know.”White was clear when discussing the event at the White House that no steps have been taken for matchmaking as it is still about five months away. He pitched that the logistics have been figured out, but the rest is still a long way off.
“Nothing yet,” White replied when asked if there was anything on the UFC White House marquee yet. “So we literally did all the logistics. [There’s] There will be 5,000 seats on the South Lawn. Fighters walk from the Oval Office. We got all that stuff dialed in. Now, January 23rd is Zuffa Boxing, January 24th is the first UFC, and after that card we’ll be working on the White House fights.
He said there are some reliable fighters worth putting on the card, and emphasized that he needs fighters – especially at the championship level – he can count on to make the event and not jeopardize their fight. A few names he didn’t think he could trust included lightweight Arman Tsarukyan and ex-two-division champion Jon Jones. The latter has been floated as a possible opponent if 205-pound belt holder Alex Pereira were to move up to heavyweight.
White was unsure about the weight class but suggested there were inherent risks in scheduling a Jones fight.
“At 205 years old,” White asked in response to a question about Jones vs. Pereira. “Yes, that would be a fight, but can I count on Jon Jones? You can’t have Jon Jones doing something bad or withdrawing from the fight in the White House.”
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