Dana White to Meet McGregor in Las Vegas to Discuss Potential Showdown with Nurmagomedov
Ultimate Fighting Championship President Dana White was expecting to meet Conor McGregor in Liverpool, England, although the meeting did not come to fruition.
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“Conor and I are going to meet in Vegas,” White said Sunday. “... He and I haven’t seen each since New York. So we haven’t seen each other, we haven’t talked, nothing, so we need to get together soon.”
White reiterated that McGregor’s future inside the Octagon will be
decided on June 14, which is when the Irishman is scheduled to
appear in court to face charges of his attack on the UFC fighter
bus. “The Notorious” is facing three counts of assault and one of
criminal mischief for his actions.
“[What happens next with him] depends on what goes on with him in New York in June,” White explained.
“We can’t determine anything about what’s next for him until June is cleared up.”
McGregor, 29, has not competed inside the Octagon since knocking out former lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez in November 2016 at UFC 205 to become the UFC’s first two-division simultaneous titleholder. Although due to his inactivity, McGregor has been stripped of both belts. However, barring a negative outcome in his trial next month, he is the overwhelming favorite to challenge the undefeated Khabib Nurmagomedov for the lightweight title later this year.
Given the history between McGregor and Nurmagomedov, the UFC could potentially have the biggest pay-per-view event of all time.
Nurmagomedov sent a message directed at McGregor this weekend with a warning that “the game has changed” now that he’s the champion.
While White has said a Nurmagomedov vs. McGregor fight could very well be in the cards for 2018 pending the Irishman’s trial, there was no word of the punishment the UFC would hand out to McGregor, who single-handily forced two bouts to be cancelled at UFC 223 as a result of his attack on the bus when both Michael Chiesa and Ray Borg suffered injuries.
“I’m pretty confident that that is the fight that Conor wants, and I’m pretty confident that that is the fight that Khabib wants,” White said. “So, yeah, I could see that happening.”
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