The Ultimate Fighting Championship president has come to Conor McGregor’s defense.
This after the UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov claimed the Irishman handpicked his opponents and that his UFC 246 main event clash with Donald Cerrone was an ‘easy fight.’
McGregor made a sensational return to the Octagon last January, finishing Cerrone in 40 seconds to score his first MMA win in three years and showed he is still on top of the competition.
Following the knockout victory, White said the lightweight title shot could be next for the promotion’s biggest draw, saying McGregor will the fight winner of the Nurmagomedov vs Ferguson UFC 249 title fight.
However, Khabib does not see McGregor as a legit contender and that fighting him in a rematch would not be good for his legacy.
The Russian has also accused his rival of ‘ducking tough matchups’ because ‘he is a big star.’
Khabib isn’t motivated by the money or drama that comes with a Conor rematch pic.twitter.com/VDFRdOni1K
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) February 26, 2020
Personal Hate
Speaking to TMZ Sports, the outspoken UFC chief has denied Khabib’s recent claim that McGregor gets to decide on who he fights in the Octagon.
“Conor McGregor does not handpick his opponens,” White said.
“McGregor has fought anybody that we have asked him to fight and who has been available.”
White believes the lightweight champ made the statement because of his personal hate for McGregor.
“They hate each other.”
“If you think that you’re going to do an interview with Khabib and he’s going to say great things about Conor McGregor.
“It is never going to happen.”
“And if you interview Conor, he’s never going to say great things about Khabib.”
.@danawhite reacts to @TeamKhabib accusing @TheNotoriousMMA of ducking fights https://t.co/2dAkkSLrDY
— LowKickMMA.com (@LowKick_MMA) February 29, 2020
Not Waiting
Nurmagomedov and McGregor first met in the main event of UFC 229, which shattered all pay-per-view records after it tallied 2.6 million buys.
The Russian walked out of the cage with the victory, submitting the Irish star in the fourth round via rear naked choke.
Citing global appeal, White continues to push for the lightweight rematch but said McGregor might not wait for the lightweight title shot and could make a return earlier than expected.
Asked about what’s next for ‘The Notorious, White said: “Yeah. Khabib, if he wins. But I don’t know if Conor wants to wait for him. We will see what happens. Conor might not wait.”
Dana White Still Wants Conor McGregor To Fight Khabib Nurmagomedov Next https://t.co/FfGMO6husi pic.twitter.com/txazN0tiLs
— US Sports News (@RMNews2019) March 1, 2020
(Featured Image Source: Instagram/ Khabib Nurmagomedov and YouTube/ MMA Fighting On SBN)