Dana White Discusses Timeframe For Khabib vs. Conor
UFC President Dana White has continuously said that a bout between reigning lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov and former two-division world champion Conor McGregor is the ‘fight to make’.
In a recent appearance on the UFC Unfiltered Podcast, however, White reiterated this idea, but he also noted that nothing can be put together until McGregor sorts out his legal issues:
“That’s the fight to make,” White said .“But there’s no fight to make until we figure out what happens with Conor.”
McGregor, who hasn’t competed in the UFC since beating Eddie Alvarez at UFC 205 in November 2016 and hasn’t competed in general since suffering a 10th-round defeat to Floyd Mayweather in a boxing match last August, made headlines this past April when he invaded the Barclays Center following a UFC 223 media day.
Ultimately, it is believed that McGregor was looking to confront Nurmagomedov, who headlined the card, but he ended up causing a havoc along with a group of teammates, attacking a bus filled with fighters and throwing various objects.
His actions led him to spend a night in a Brooklyn jail and he will now appear in court later this month where a clearer picture of his fighting future will likely be painted.
As far as Nurmagomedov goes, “The Eagle” has said that he would like to return this fall following Ramadan. A logical landing spot for his return would be on the UFC’s debut card in Russia, which is slated for Sept. 15, but White explained why that will not happen:
“Khabib won’t fight [in Russia],” he said. “The fight in Moscow is going to be a Fight Night. It’s going to be on Fight Pass. We’re just testing it out out there to see how it goes. It’s a place we’ve been trying to get into for a long time, and we’re doing it.”
McGregor also took to Instagram earlier today to reveal that he was supposed to fight at UFC 224 last month in Rio de Janeiro, but his arrest obviously derailed those plans.
