White denies Musk-Zuckerberg fight is a ‘gimmick’
Dana White denies that the Musk-Zuckerberg fight is a “gimmick.” In a video on Twitter, White can be seen wearing a UFC-branded t-shirt with the words ‘ZUCKERBERG -VS- MUSK’ on it. In the video’s comments section, some people suggest that the fight is a publicity stunt, to which White says:
This isn’t a gimmick fight. Gimmick is MMA guys going to Boxing and getting beat. We have seen it already and know how it ends. This is a fight between 2 of the most powerful / richest guys in the world. Who will win? Who has seen this before? NOBODY. It’s also a crossover fight that literally EVERY EVERYONE will watch.
Keep watching MMA vs. Boxer in boxing. Apparently u love those fights even though u KNOW EXACTLY who’s gonna win. All good.
— danawhite (@danawhite) June 25, 2023
White: Musk-Zuckerberg ‘cage match’ PPV would cost $100, bring in over $1 billion
White says he spoke with both billionaires about their cage match challenge:
Mark Zuckerberg hit me up first and said ‘is he serious?’
The Tesla CEO told him:
Yeah, I’m dead serious.
White says he is in the early stages of planning the fight, but said the $100 pay=per-view cost would bring three times more revenue than Conor McGregor-Floyd Mayweather in 2017, which brought in more than $600 million (Mayweather took home $275 million, McGregor 85 million .
This would be the biggest fight ever in the history of the world, bigger than anything that’s ever been done. It would break all pay-per-view records. I think it triples [Mayweather-McGregor]. There’s no limit on what this thing can make. I don’t think either one of them needs the money. These guys would raise hundreds of millions of dollars for charity. If these guys are serious, I make fights that people want to see. That’s what I do for a living.
White confirms McGregor ‘will fight again’
White confirms that McGregor will fight again, despite his retirement announcement last month.
Conor McGregor will fight again…Me and Conor communicate every day. We’ve been talking all this week. Things are good with Conor and I and we’ll get something figured out soon…Conor likes to be in a position where he holds the cards and he does what he wants to do.
White remains optimistic on the prospect of a rematch with either Mayweather or Nurmagomedov.
Yeah, if Floyd wants to fight in the octagon, we’ll do it one hundred per cent. I think that that fight is a possibility some day in the octagon…And, obviously I think everybody would like to see the fight with him (McGregor) and Khabib again.
McGregor’s hopes of Nurmagomedov rematch dashed by UFC
UFC president White expects Nurmagomedov to face Ferguson when he returns, and not a rematch with McGregor. Both Nurmagomedov and McGregor will come before the Nevada State Athletic Commission on December 10 to discover whether they will be fined and banned for their post-fight brawls.
They’ve got to go before the NSAC which is scheduled for December and we’ll see what happens. Tony Ferguson is the right fight [for Nurmagomedov], he didn’t lose the belt in a fight so it’s the right fight. We’ll see how this whole thing plays out, it all depends on the suspensions.
White: McGregor ‘upset’ about loss, doesn’t care about brawl
Following the events that closed out UFC 229, White gives a brief statement talking about how McGregor was upset at the defeat, and didn’t care about the brawl:
He didn’t care about the fight after. He was more concerned with the fight. He said ‘listen man, I’m upset. I don’t give a shit about any of that, we don’t like each other.’…You know he doesn’t like Khabib and the whole deal, but he didn’t press charges against him and the whole team. He doesn’t care about that. He cares that he lost the fight.
Nurmagomedov pleads with White to award belt
After defeating McGregor, then brawling in the crowd, and as Las Vegas metro police attempt to restore order, Nurmagomedov climbs back into the octagon and pleads with White to give him his belt: “Put my belt on me.” White refuses, fearing an even greater safety issue. He explained that angry fans would pelt him with anything they could get their hands on. Khabib continues to protest:
“I don’t care. I’m ready for this. If I have to be arrested, then I have to be arrested. But I want my belt put on me.
White: McGregor better at mental warfare than Muhammad Ali
The UFC 229 press conference for McGregor vs Nurmagomedov was McGregor’s first appearance in front of the press for some time. White says he is very impressed by McGregor’s verbal sparring skills:
Conor McGregor is the master of mental warfare. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I think he’s better than anybody, even Muhammad Ali. You don’t ever want to say anybody’s better than Ali, but I think when it comes to mental war game in this sport, or any other sport, Conor McGregor is the best ever.
White believes McGregor vs Nurmagomedov fight will break pay-per-view record
White believes the upcoming McGregor vs Nurmagomedov fight could break the two million pay-per-view barrier. The UFC do not release pay-per-view figures, but the record is believed to be 1.6million for McGregor’s rematch with Nate Diaz in 2016.
I am confident it will do two million on pay-per-view. Believe me when I tell you, this will be massive.
White: ‘We’re not talking about a McGregor fight right now’
At a post-UFC 226 press conference at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, White says any talk of McGregor’s return to The Octagon must wait until the fighter clears his legal issues.
I’m not even thinking about Conor until – I’m serious. I know they’re saying there are talks, but we’re not talking about a fight right now. Conor has to get through July. Whatever’s going to happen to him in July, we’ll figure that out. I don’t know what’s going to happen…Is he going to get fined? Is he going to be on probation? Is he going to get this, that? When that’s over with, then we’ll start talking about him fighting.
White: No punishment for McGregor until after NYC court ruling
White says the UFC will not consider punishment for McGregor’s bus attack until after McGregor appears in court again on June 14, and the New York City judge issues a ruling.
We’ll see what happens. He’s gotta be punished by the law first…Let’s see what happens in New York.
White: McGregor arrest warrant issued
Whits says there is an arrest warrant out for McGregor’s arrest:
There is a warrant out for Conor McGregor’s arrest. They’re looking for him right now. His plane cannot take off. He cannot leave the state of New York with this warrant. He’ll be grounded and I’m assuming eventually if they don’t catch him, he’ll turn himself in. You can imagine he’s gonna be sued beyond belief, and this was a real bad career move for him.
Listen, you don’t like Khabib and you don’t like what happened (with Lobov) or whatever? Then fight Khabib. You can come in here and you can do it legally. This fight’s happening Saturday. We could have talked and made the Khabib fight right after. You could do whatever you wanted to Khabib within the limits of the rules of fighting. But you want to grab 30 friends and come down here and do what you did today? It’s disgusting, and I don’t think anybody is going to be huge Conor McGregor fans after this.
#BREAKING: Arrest warrant issued for Conor McGregorpic.twitter.com/OxgzNabCMa
— Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) April 5, 2018
McGregor to lose UFC lightweight belt to Ferguson-Nurmagomedov winner on April 7
UFC president White confirms that current lightweight champion Conor McGregor will lose his title to the winner of Tony Ferguson vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 223 on April 7 in Brooklyn, New York.
That’s exactly right: As soon as one punch is thrown, it’s on for the full title and it’s only fair. They’ve both worked their way up to No. 1 and No. 2. They deserve a shot.
White says the lightweight division will move on in McGregor’s absence, in the same way McGregor’s featherweight title was stripped when he failed to defend it in nearly a year after knocking Jose Aldo out in 13 seconds.
This is good news for the fans. I always hear about, ‘What will you do if this guy leaves …’ This is a sport first. People leave, they’ve made money and moved on. It happens.
White: McGregor will face Ferguson or Nurmagomedov, not Diaz
White says McGreogr will not fight Diaz for his comeback fight, and that he will likely fight Ferguson or Nurmagomedov.
I think people would rather see Conor come back and either fight Tony [Ferguson] or Khabib [Nurmagomedov]. Whoever wins — and the Nate Diaz fight isn’t going anywhere. We can do that thing any time.
White confident McGregor will return to UFC in 2018
White says he is confident that a lot of his top box office stars, including McGregor, will gear up for long-awaited returns to the Octagon this coming year, as well as Jones, Lesnar, St-Pierre and the Diaz brothers.
I’m going to take the odds and say ‘yes’, that Conor will fight more than twice inside the Octagon, at odds of +175 that he will.
UFC may strip McGregor’s lightweight title
White warns McGregor he faces being stripped of his UFC lightweight title if he remains out of the octagon until September.
Conor has said he’s thinking about coming back in September. If he comes back in September that’s almost two years, that can’t happen, it’s not fair to everybody else…I love Conor, I respect Conor, I love everything he’s done for this company, but the belt would have to move on.
White says McGregor’s continued absence is unfair to his division rivals and added talks are under way for interim champion Tony Ferguson to take on undefeated Russian Khabib Nurmagomedov in a bout for the lightweight title.
You do Khabib versus Tony. We’re working on that fight now. If and when Conor comes back, he will get the first crack at the title.
"Conor has said he's thinking about coming back in September. If he comes back in September, that's almost two years…that can't happen." — @danawhite
Dana speaks on #UFCSTL, Khabib, Tony and of course…Conor McGregor possibly being stripped. https://t.co/fTlT8sD2I3
— FOX Sports: UFC (@UFCONFOX) January 15, 2018
White: McGregor ‘may never fight in the Octagon again’
At the UFC’s Las Vegas headquarters, White says McGregor may not fight again:
Conor might never fight again. The guy’s got $100 million. I’ve got guys that made less than that and were lawyers and went to school their whole life and quit working. Try to get up and get punched in the face every day when you’ve got $100 million in the bank. Money changes everything with a lot of people.
As for a potential fight with Tony Ferguson:
Listen, we ain’t taking any direction from Ferguson. With [McGregor], it’s not about ‘defend or vacate’. We’re working on a new deal right now. We’ve got to work out this new deal.
McGregor ‘absolutely devastated’ after Las Vegas shooting
McGregor says he is ‘absolutely devastated’ on hearing of Sunday’s mass shooting in Las Vegas, the city where he trained and fought Mayweather. Dana White says that the UFC organisation will donate $1 million to the families of the victims of the attack. McGregor posts on Instagram:
Absolutely devastated upon hearing the news in Las Vegas…a city so close to my heart.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BZxKtfigdqn/
Dana White gives update on McGregor-Diaz III
Talk of a series decider between McGregor and Diaz that would headline UFC 219, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on December 30, is dismissed by White. White categorically denies the rumours of McGregor vs Diaz III being set by tweeting:
Not true AT ALL.
Not true AT ALL
— danawhite (@danawhite) September 24, 2017
Dana White: Oscar De La Hoya is ‘snorting coke’, Bob Arum is an ‘a-hole’
After Oscar De La Hoya posts a tweet criticising McGregor and Mayweather. White responds:
WTF?!? Is this guy snorting coke and drinking booze again??!?
WTF?!? Is this guy snorting coke and drinking booze again??!? #OscarDeLaArum pic.twitter.com/awn2bgnWNV
— danawhite (@danawhite) August 25, 2017
White elaborates:
He’s way down with that [Canelo vs. McGregor fight]. Don’t believe his bullsh*t. That guy is so full of sh*t that it’s not even funny. First of all, when this whole thing first went down [with McGregor looking to box] – Oscar De La Hoya was saying ‘oh I would love to have McGregor fight for me and do him and Canelo.’ And as soon as the deal gets made [for Mayweather-McGregor] it’s the worst fight ever made…Oscar De La Hoya is full of sh*t up to here. I still can’t believe he did that . Bob Arum is the biggest jerkoff in this sport by a hundred thousand miles. By far the biggest jerkoff in the sport. Now [De La Hoya] left Arum. Everyone will agree that Arum is just an *sshole. Now De La Hoya, who I’ve known for a long time and I like Oscar, as soon as this fight is made he turns into ‘Oscar De La Arum’ and goes crazy on the fight.
White: McGregor ‘is going to be the biggest athlete on the planet’
White says that boxing has snubbed MMA, and is now ready for a wake up call.
Here’s the reality: boxing has tried to snub this sport for a very long time. The people who think is going to be this one-sided whatever with Floyd Mayweather, don’t know Conor McGregor yet. The beautiful thing about this thing is that it’s the biggest combat sport [event] ever in the history of combat sports — now you’re going to meet Conor McGregor, motherf—s!…When he makes this upset — and it’ll be the biggest upset in the history of sports — he’s going to be the biggest athlete on the planet. It’s going to be awesome.
