Dana White Dismisses Concerns About Conor McGregor’s Readiness for UFC Return Amidst Antics

Conor McGregor’s has not fought since 2021 and fans are getting a tired of the comeback rumors never coming to fruition. With ‘The Notorious still seems eager to return, fans are analyzing his every move on social media and they don’t like what they see. But UFC president, Dana White isn’t bothered at all.

The former UFC double champion recently did a livestream with DuelBits where he was smoking a cigar and drinking is Forged Irish Stout, which don’t seem to be in tune with his talks of returning to the octagon.

Kevin Iole brought up this conversation in a recent interview with Dana White and asked the UFC president what he thought of McGregor’s antics.

White seemed to be rather comfortable in his lane, moisturized, and just generally unbothered by McGregor’s antics. Given that he already has Jon Jones active, things could always be far worse.

Anyway, in response to Iole, White said:

“I didn’t see the livestream…..I said that Conor wasn’t fighting till 2025. It is October 1st of 2024 Conor McGregor has plent of time.”

The UFC president himself is eager to see McGregor back in the octagon. Although he hasn’t given fans a confirmed date yet, they can expect him to return next year.

Now, if it was up to ‘The Notorious’ he would be fighting before the end of the year and with Michael Chandler but the UFC didn’t seem to be able to fit in the main event of a big PPV this year.

In the same interview, White also went on to talk about another pressing topic, UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira wanting to venture into boxing.

White addresses Pereira’s boxing ambition

Pereira has made it very clear that he wants to transition to boxing next. There is no doubt in anyone’s mind that he will be able to hold his own in a boxing ring, having fought as an amateur before.

However, the UFC does not let it’s fighters transition unless it’s an offer they can’t refuse, like McGregor vs Mayweather. Besides, White’ apprehension about fighters being paid a fair wage when they move to boxing seems to be another issue altogether.

So reiterating his hatred for cross-sports events, the UFC president said:

“I don’t know, I’m not even thinking about that kind of stuff. I’m not thinking about cross-over fights, I hate cross-over fights. I respect the fact that [Alex] wants to do it… but I want everybody to stay in their own lane.”

If marketed right, even Alex Pereira could draw in big numbers in terms of PPV sales for a boxing event. However, the UFC president does not see it happening anytime soon, despite the recent callouts from YouTuber-turned boxer Jake Paul.