McGregor: Relationship with UFC ‘in a good place’
McGregor says his meeting with White went well.
I met with Dana and Mr. Fertitta, good conversation like it always is. We have a good relationship. It is what it is. It happens. This is the fight game. Sometimes emotions get into it but it’s important to recognize that emotions have no place in business. We just set it aside. There’s no place for emotions in this. We are doing beautiful things so let’s continue. Let’s fix it and continue…I’d say [our relationship] is nice and in the middle. In a good place.
McGregor, White meet in LA
McGregor and White meet at the Montage hotel in Beverly Hills. McGregor arrives in a Rolls-Royce Phantom drophead coupe and is personally greeted by White. The two men hug, and then have a two-hour private dinner.
White: UFC 200 ‘ship has sailed’
White will meet with McGregor in Los Angeles.
[We] are having dinner with Conor McGregor. So tonight at like, 10 (p.m.), I’ll have a lot more answers on the Conor McGregor situation…[Conor] will not be on UFC 200. Not at all. That ship sailed. But we’ve put that behind us, and we’re in a good place with Conor, and we’re looking to make his next fight. We should have that done tonight.
White: McGregor-Mayweather ‘impossible’
In an interview on on the Russillo and Kannell show, White says that a McGregor-Mayweather matchup is ‘impossible’.
Let me put it to you this way. Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather are in the same sport. It took how long for those two to fight? Now imagine how hard it would be to get [Mayweather and McGregor] to fight. They’re not in the same sport. Is this thing going to be MMA or boxing rules? Who’s getting the lion’s share of the money? This and that. It’s impossible. But like I’ve said, ‘Floyd, you want to fight Conor, call me.’
White to Mayweather: ‘Call me’
In an interview on the Dan Patrick show, White says that if Mayweather wants to fight McGregor, then he should give him a call.
"If Floyd @FloydMayweather wants to fight @TheNotoriousMMA….call me Floyd." –@danawhite on a Mayweather/McGregor fight. @dpshow
— Paul Pabst (@PaulPabst) May 11, 2016
White: McGregor relationship ‘great’
White says that he and McGregor have made up.
Conor and I have been talking every day, we’re going to have dinner next week. Our relationship is great, and we’re going to put the little speed bump in the road that happened there behind us and move forward. So everything is great…He will not be on 200. We’re going to get together next week and see what card he’s going to be on.
White refutes McGregor-Floyd fight reports
White responds to a report in the UK’s Sun tabloid, which reported that McGregor and Mayweather only have to agree on the purse to fight in the summer.
McGregor-Mayweather? No. It’d be very hard to pull off. I’ve heard Floyd is on a worldwide vacation on Mayweather Air spending millions in every country he visits.
He also says McGregor cannot fight outside of UFC:
Never. We’re his promoter. We’d have to make the fight. [The report is] completely fiction, this is like bottom-feeder … stuff.
UFC 200 press conference
White introduces the fighters fro UFC 200. He talks about McGregor:
Listen, Conor’s going to fight again. He’s going to fight at UFC 201, 202, 203 – whatever the deal might be. We’ll see what’s next when that plays out. But (UFC) 200 is the fight everybody’s been looking to for a long time. It is what it is. The show’s going to roll on, and Conor will fight again.
White insists McGregor not on ticket
Speaking to TMZ, White repeats that McGregor is not on the ticket.
All the media keeps asking me that. I feel like the scene in Step Brothers when they ask if they can build the bunk beds. I don’t know how many more times I can say the fight is off or how many more press conferences I can have saying the fight is off for people to believe it’s off.
White: No deal with McGregor
White tells the Los Angeles Times in a text message that a deal for McGregor’s return is not true.
We haven’t talked [to] Conor or his manager since the press conference. I don’t know why he would tweet that.
UFC 200 press conference
White introduces the fighters for UFC 200. McGregor is not present. Diaz:
I didn’t ask for that fight, but he asked for it. And if that ain’t gonna happen, I’m going on Vacation…He’s got a lot of catching up to do, so there ain’t no time for this [media] shit. I’ve dodging all this for years, so it’s all good. Let him do his thing, get his training on, and let him fight.
White:
Listen, I just don’t see how that’s fair. These people have come from all over the world. The fights still three months away, that’s why we do it so early so we try not to interfere with their lives. People want Conor to fight, so do the fans, so do the media, everybody..You think I don’t want Conor to fight? Of course I do. It’s not right, you can’t not show up for this stuff. [Reporter: So you’re ruling him out at this point?]. Yeah!
White: McGregor will fight again
In an interview on The Jim Rome Show, White talks about McGregor’s retirement announcement.
We’d been going back and forth over this whole press conference and commercial thing. He’s young, he’s emotional, and I believe that’s what that was. Do I believe he’s retiring? I don’t. But if he is, I wish him well. Conor McGregor will fight again I believe. He’s a young guy, he’s a proud guy, he’s very opinionated. I think yesterday his tweet was out of frustration and not the true desire to retire…You can’t not show up to promote your fight. Especially it’s UFC 200. We’re spending like 10 million dollars in commercials and advertising and everything else, and he’s the main event, and he’s not going to be a part of it? It doesn’t work that way.
White also says reports of McGregor wanting $10 million to fight at UFC 200 are false:
That is a flat out disgusting lie. It’s a lie. Conor McGregor has never agreed to fight then come back and ask for more money. He’s never done that. He’s not like that…I’m not mad at Conor McGregor at all. I have no ill-will towards him whatsoever. Listen, he’s a big boy he made a decision not to fight at two hundred he knows what that means to him. Listen, I got three months to go and a lot of people who want to fight on it.
White: If McGregor calls ‘they could figure out’ UFC 200
UFC President White says McGregor’s management asked to move the media promotions to May but that wasn’t an option. At that time, White said it was “weird”. He also says McGregor needs to clear up his status soon because if he remains retired Aldo v Edgar will be for the featherweight title. White adds that if McGregor called him today to clear the air they could figure it out UFC 200.
I’m not mad at Conor. Conor made a decision and a choice to not fight on this card. That’s on him, man…Conor delivers. But he wasn’t planning on delivering this weekend, and I had to pull him. It’s what had to be done.
McGregor pulled from UFC 200
UFC President White says that McGregor has been pulled from UFC 200 because he had refused to fly to Las Vegas to help promote the event. He says UFC is working on scheduling another fight for Diaz, and will add another bout to UFC 200.
What’s happened is we pulled Conor McGregor from UFC 200 and we’re working on other fights right now. Conor did not want to come to Las Vegas and film the commercial or be a part of any of the marketing we have. He’s in Iceland training and that’s not possible… Is Conor McGregor retiring? Only he can answer that question…Obviously we still have, as far as I’m concerned, a good relationship with Conor. I respect Conor as a fighter and I like him as a person, but you can’t decide to not show up to these things. You have to do it.
White: McGregor ‘obsessed’ with rematch
UFC president White says he talked to McGregor after his defeat by Diaz.
After the fight, Lorenzo (Fertitta) and I went up to Conor’s house that he was renting here in Las Vegas and started talking about what are you thinking, what’s next and he was obsessed — obsessed with fighting Nate Diaz again. Obviously, Lorenzo and I tried to argue with him and say ‘let’s go back down to 145 an defend your title’ or if you really want the Diaz fight that bad, do it at 155. He wants the fight at 170. Even his coach, coach (John) Kavanagh tried to get him off this rematch and off the 170 pound fight, but it’s what he wanted…[Nate said] ‘He wants to do it again, let’s do it again’. Nate was obviously up for the fight.
UFC 196 moves to Fox Sports 1
White announces that, due to Cain Velazquez and Fabricio Werdum, pulling out of the main event fight due to injuries, the UFC’s upcoming event will not be a pay-per-view event, but instead will be shown on Fox Sports 1. The original co-main event, Hendricks against Thompson, will headline the upcoming fight card.
Comments on Punk in UFC
White comments on Punk’s signing with UFC and his first bout.
He wanted to fight here. He wanted to give it a shot, so we gave him an opportunity. It’s not like Brock Lesnar. We’re not going to throw the kitchen sink at him. Lesnar had a wrestling background. (CM Punk) going to fight a guy who is 1-0, 1-1, 2-1 — something like that.
Dana White interview
White is interviewed by The Arsenio Hall Show. They talk about UFE and it’s rivalry WWE, combat sports and how about a wrestling challenge with Vince McMahon.
I think that if your a fan of WWE, your into soap operas and scripted…you know, everybody knows it’s fake. It’s like a male soap opera.
McGregor meets White for first time
After the Brimage fight, McGregor meets White for the first time on camera. They talk about the Brimage fight and invites him to fight in Dublin and Boston.
White: Welcome to the UFC. There’s been a lot of hype. I guess the hype is real. Marcus Brimage was a tough dude.
McGregor: Yeah man, he’s tough. I hit him in a few shots.
While: You hurt him a lot before you finished him.
…
White: People are going crazy on Twitter. And I’m sorry they were f-cking with your flag. What the f-ck are they doing fighting with the kid’s flag?
