UFC boss Dana White is urging Conor McGregor to hit the brakes on his plan to fight welterweight standout Jorge Masvidal because the organization’s ‘BMF’ could distract the Irishman from his business in the lightweight division.
McGregor is due to return to the UFC cage in January for a welterweight bout against Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone, in what will be the former two-division UFC champion’s first fight since being submitted by 155lb champion Khabib Nurmagomedov in October 2018.
But the Dubliner’s plans for 2020 also involve a sequel to his blood feud with his Russian rival, along with a potential bout with the consensus fighter of the year in Masvidal.
However, with McGregor understood to be next in line for a title bout in the lightweight fold should he get past the experienced Cerrone on January 18, White says that he would be best served waiting for his opportunity against the winner of the upcoming Nurmagomedov vs. Tony Ferguson fight rather than casting glances towards the 170lb field.
“Conor has this idea, too, that if things don’t go his way and he [doesn’t] get the fight [with Khabib], he’ll have had a 170 fight in his pocket again and [is] considering a [Jorge] Masvidal fight,” White said to ESPN.
“I think everybody knows what I think about it. I think it’s a bad idea. Conor gets pissed off when I say it’s a bad idea, and he’s like, “You think I can’t beat Masvidal?
“I’m not saying you can’t beat Masvidal. Anybody can beat anybody on any given day, but why? Why go after that fight when you could possibly just wait?”
McGregor has spoken of his desire to hold the ‘BMF’ title originally won by Masvidal in November in a hotly-anticipated fight with Nate Diaz, but White emphasizes that the belt was intended as a one-off and was never meant to become part of the UFC title infrastructure.
Such is the Irishman’s influence, though, he often gets what he wants.
“Conor wants that belt from Masvidal,” White explained. “I did it as a one off and like I said, it was fun. It was awesome. We’ll see what happens.
“You’ve got to love the fact that a guy is willing to fight anybody. Believe me, I’ve said this a million times, I’ll say it again, I’ve been in the trenches and when we’re standing in the living room and fights pull out, Conor McGregor will fight anybody.”
First things first. McGregor has a significant challenge awaiting him in the Octagon next month and any future plans are contingent not just on a win, but likely on an impressive one.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has confirmed he will seek parliamentary immunity from prosecution in multiple corruption cases hanging over him ahead of upcoming March elections. In a speech at...
Thousands of nationalists In Kiev have celebrated the New Year with torchlight parades in honor of Stepan Bandera, a WWII nationalist regarded by modern Ukrainians as a hero and by...
There was no sense of festive goodwill from Jose Mourinho after he was yellow-carded in Tottenham's loss at Southampton for appearing to read the tactics being jotted down by a...
