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What's the story?
UFC president, Dana White, was seen recently speaking on the Barstool Sports podcast, where he disclosed his problems with former UFC two-division champion, Conor McGregor.
The Irishman last competed in the Octagon in a losing cause against current lightweight champion, Khabib Nurmagomedov, who submitted him to a neck crank during the fourth round of their championship bout at UFC 229.
In case you didn't know...
Over the past few years, Conor McGregor has undoubtedly been the face of the fight game, whether it is the UFC or boxing. Following his win over Eddie Alvarez at UFC 205 for the lightweight championship, McGregor went on a temporary hiatus from mixed martial arts in an attempt to make more 'paper' by way of boxing.
'The Notorious One' squared off against Floyd Mayweather Jr., in one of the biggest pay-per-view draws in the history of the sport of boxing. After the Mayweather showdown, McGregor returned to the Octagon, over a year later, in a championship title fight against lightweight champion, Khabib Nurmagomedov, at UFC 229.
The champion successfully defended his lightweight title by securing a win in the fourth round via a neck crank submission. Soon after the fight, a brawl was seen breaking out between the camps of both fighters, forcing the Nevada State Athletic Commission into suspending both Khabib and McGregor, indefinitely.
The heart of the matter
During a recent interview on the Barstool Sports podcast, president of the UFC, Dana White, was seen being explicit about the challenges he faces in managing a global superstar like Conor McGregor. He said:
“Is Conor hard to deal with here and there? Yeah but he’s worth it. If people ask me what’s the biggest problem you have with Conor? It’s not showing up on time. Other than that, Conor’s incredible. Conor’s a fun guy to be around, he’s hilarious, he’s a great fighter, he’s fun to watch. If the guy showed up on time, he’d literally be perfect. He’d be perfect." (H/T: SportsJOE)
During the UFC 229 pre-fight press conference, Conor McGregor showed up so late that his rival, Nurmagomedov, left the arena before the Irishman had arrived. White added:
“We’re a global sport so when we do these press conferences, we’re on television networks all over the world that are taking this press conference. So they’re live and they’re ready to go and if Conor doesn’t show up for another 30 minutes, it’s a problem."
What's next?
The UFC is currently waiting on learning the extent of punishments for both Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov, for their respective roles in the post-fight melee at UFC 229, in Las Vegas.
Dana White has forecasted a match-up for Conor McGregor, against Dusting Poirier, on his return which the UFC hopes to be sooner rather than later.
Who do you think Conor McGregor should face on his return to the Octagon? Leave your thoughts and opinions in the comments section below!
