Dana White: Conor McGregor Should Wait For Khabib-Gaethje Winner
UFC president Dana White has advised Conor McGregor to wait for a lightweight title shot against the winner of Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Justin Gaethje. Speaking with boxing promoter Eddie Hearn and former cruiserweight champion Tony Bellew on the Talk The Talk podcast White said his advice to McGregor is to sit and wait for his crack at the 155lb title.
“I think the best thing for him, I’m not saying this is what’s going to happen, but in my opinion, he lets this Gaethje-Khabib fight play out and he fights the winner. I think that’s the smartest move for him. But, you know him, maybe he wants to fight before that and if he does, we can figure something out. I think that is the move for him right now.” (Transcribed by Daily Mail)
McGregor hasn’t fought since stopping Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone in 40 seconds when they met in the main event at UFC 246 earlier this year. The Irishman has previously said he had hoped to fight three times in 2020 but as of right now he hasn’t fought since, and it doesn’t seem like he will fight again anytime soon.
White has previously said McGregor was next in line for his long-time rival and lightweight champion Nurmagomedov but things have dramatically changed since then. When the undefeated Russian was forced out of his UFC 249 fight against Tony Ferguson, Gaethje stepped up and leapfrogged McGregor by spectacularly beating ‘El Cucuy’. ‘The Highlight’ dominated Ferguson for five rounds and ultimately forced a stoppage against a fighter riding the longest win streak in lightweight history. The UFC boss, of course, declared Gaethje was next in line and McGregor was left in a tough spot.
Nurmagomedov vs. Gaethje is expected to take place later this summer with sometime in September being the most likely date for the 155lb unification fight. If McGregor takes the advice of White this could mean he doesn’t compete again until 2021 and has again had an inactive year in fighting.
Do you agree with Dana White? Should Conor McGregor wait it out for a shot at the lightweight title?
