White: Rousey is ‘probably done’ fighting
White says Rousey will probably not fight again.
In the conversation I had with her, if I had to say right here right now – again I don’t like saying right here right now because it’s up to her – but I would’t say she fights again. I think she’s probably done. She’s going to ride off into the sunset and start living her life outside of fighting…And then once she lost, she started to say to herself, ‘What the f*ck am I doing? This is my whole life. This is it? I want to experience and start doing other things.’ And I think that’s what she started to do, and she’s got a lot of money. She’s never going to need money again….I’m happy for her. She came in and changed the world. She put female fighting on the map. She’s been part of the biggest fights in the history of women’s fighting, and I hope those records can be broken. I don’t know if they can, but I hope they do.
White to Mcgregor: ‘If he wants to go down that road with us, it’ll be an epic fall’
White reacts to MCGregor saying “F-ck the UFC’ and other comments about a potential Mayweather fight from his Manchester interview.
When your about go an a pay-per-view where you’re charging people five bucks to hear you talk, I’m sure you’ve gotta say some crazy shit . You know how how I feel about Conor. I’ve always shown Conor nothing but respect. If he wants to go down that road with us, let me tell you, it’ll be an epic fall…Here’s what I think the chances [of a McGregor-Mayweather fight] are: about the same as me being the backup quarterback for Brady on Sunday…I made an offer because [Mayweather] was full of shit. This was a treal offer.
Dana White Reacts To McGregor Interview! "If he wants to go down that road with us, it’ll be an epic fall" https://t.co/52QfI9AH1Z
— Conor McGregor News (@ConormcGregor5) January 29, 2017
White will not talk to Pacquiao promoter about McGregor fight
White says he will not take calls from Bob Arum, Pacquiao’s promoter, about a McGregor fight.
Listen, I love Manny Pacquiao. But I don’t love Bob Arum. You can tell Arum to save his money and not make any calls over here because we aren’t doing business with him.
White: McGregor doesn’t need Mayweather to sell PPVs
White says McGregor can pull more pay-per-views than Mayweather, and talks about Manny Pacquiao’s earnings.
Here’s the thing, Manny Pacquiao ended up doing that fight and you hear all these numbers thrown around, but it’s something like Floyd got $250 [million], Manny got $100 [million]. It’s still a lot of money for both guys, but it’s not a big fight without Manny. Manny was as important in that fight as Floyd was…I’m going to tell you why Conor McGregor is still doing over a million pay-per-view buys and Floyd isn’t. Because Conor McGregor will fight anybody, anywhere, anytime, including Floyd Mayweather. He absolutely is that guy. Whether Conor fights Floyd or he doesn’t, there’s a line of guys that are ready to fight Conor that Conor will fight that are going to do over a million pay-per-view buys. Conor McGregor loves to fight and he is one of those guys that will take on anyone, anywhere. Floyd keeps putting this thing on his social media of Conor getting choked by (Nate) Diaz, but Conor fights.
Sharpe: McGregor can now demand $25 million for UFC fights
Sharpe says by telling McGregor what he’s worth in a fight against Mayweather, White has given the Irishman more negotiating power ahead of his next bout in the UFC.
If I’m Conor McGregor, I say I appreciate that Dana White because for the longest time you told me and you told everybody that would listen and every fight fan in the UFC, Ronda Rousey is the biggest draw. You just went on television or you went on radio and said ‘Conor McGregor is the ‘A’ side’. So whether I fight Floyd Mayweather or not, it’s going to cost you $25 million plus a back end part of the pay-per-view going forward. That’s all he’s done. Conor McGregor’s going to double down now. I want to talk to you about a piece, but going forward it’s $25 million for me to step into the ring and then we’ll negotiate the back end on pay-per-view buys. Because if I’m the ‘A’ guy, I don’t really need Floyd. Because I’m the ‘A’ guy. People are coming to see me.
Mayweather: Why is Dana White making all the money, when McGregor’s fighting?’
Mayweather talks about White’s offer.
The last time I made $25 million was ten years ago. I’m not bragging or boasting, I’m just telling the truth. I’m appreciative and thankful. $25 million is still great money. For the last however many years, my guaranteed lowest is $32m. But in the Canelo fight I made over $100 million. And Canelo and Pacquiao made over $400 million. Just me, sponsorship money leading up to the Pacquiao fight, that week I made something like $25-30 million. If I was so desperate and hurting for money I’d be back…I don’t want to talk to Dana White. Dana White was a player, he was a boss, but he was a small boss…so Dana is just an employee. I like Dana White, I don’t have anything against him. I remember when he used to carry my bags. Now he’s such a tough guy. All I got to say is this, ‘Why everytime Conor McGregor go out there and fight, Dana White makes more money than Conor McGregor when Conor McGregor go out there and fight.’
https://twitter.com/ufcrelated/status/820736265901355008
White: Mayweather wrong to turn down McGregor fight offer
White says Mayweather is wrong to turn down his $25 million offer.
First of all Floyd thinks he’s so much bigger than Conor — he’s wrong. Listen, Floyd’s gone undefeated for 20 years. I give him all the credit in the world for doing that. Conor’s been around for three or four years, and for him to think he’s a much bigger star than Conor isn’t true, and I’m not going to pay him way more money than I’m gonna pay my guy. We all know that $25 million is not peanuts, and so does he. He’s hanging his watch out the window. His watch is the problem, ok? If you’re wearing a watch that’s $250,000 you’re gonna $25 million real quick pal. And hey Floyd! Taxes are coming up too, buddy. They’re gonna be all over you, pal.. Floyd said that he made an offer. He never made an offer. It’s not true. I made an offer. OK. So if you’re serious there’s a real offer. Where do we go from here Floyd?
Mayweather to White: ‘You’re a f-cking comedian’
Mayweather responds to White’s $25 million offer to fight McGregor:
You’re a f-cking comedian!
White offers McGregor and Mayweather $25m plus PPV to fight in UFC
White offers both McGregor and Mayweather $25 million each as well as a portion of PPV for the fight to take place under the UFC banner.
https://twitter.com/ZPGIFs/status/819992530620215296
Ferguson vs. Nurmagomedov for interim lightweight title confirmed for UFC 209
White announces that Ferguson will fight Nurmagomedov for the interim lightweight title at UFC 209 on March 4. At one point Nurmagomedov vs. Ferguson seemed as if it was off the table, with Nurmagomedov claiming he was moving on from Ferguson who — according to White — was asking for too much money. It’s understood that Ferguson and the promotion came to a middle ground.
Khabib Nurmagomedov vs Tony Ferguson for the interim LW title on March 4 at UFC 209!!! pic.twitter.com/oJwvlDl4eX
— danawhite (@danawhite) January 13, 2017
Hunt sues Lesnar, White, UFC
Hunt files a civil suit naming the UFC, Lesnar and White as defendants with the Nevada District Court. The suit says:
[The parties] affirmatively circumvented and obstructed fair competition for their own benefit…Without HUNT’s knowledge or consent, the UFC conspired and caused LESNAR, a doping fighter, to fight HUNT, a clean fighter, despite the fact that LESNAR used substances banned by the UFC, USADA and WADA.
Hunt:
I want the UFC to understand it’s not OK to keep doing what they’re doing. They’re allowing guys to do this. They had a chance to take all the money from this guy, because he’s a cheater, and they didn’t. What message is that sending to the boys and girls who want to be a fighter someday? The message is, ‘You just have to cheat like this and it’s OK.’ In society, if you commit a crime, you pay. Why is it different in MMA? It’s hurt the business, so it’s even worse. They need to be held accountable for this.
White: Streep an ‘uppity, 80-year-old-lady’
In response to Streep’s comments during her Golden Globes acceptance speech:
If all these outsiders and foreigners were kicked out of Hollywood, you’ll have nothing to watch but football and mixed martial arts, which are not the arts.
White:
The last thing in the world I expect is an uppity, 80-year-old lady to be in our demographic and love mixed martial arts…I’m not a big fan of golf, doesn’t mean people should stop watching it. If you don’t like it change the channel…Of course it’s an art. These men and women are so talented. They train their whole lives to become the best in the world, and the people who get into the UFC are the elite of the elite. Saying something stupid like that is like saying she’s not a talented actress…We have champions from all over the world, men and women. It was a completely uneducated comment.
White: Rousey built the UFC
White talks about Rousey’s loss to Nunes.
I went backstage after and hung out with her for probably 45 minutes. I’ll tell you this: She’s in better spirits this time than after the Holly fight. She’s very competitive. She does not like to lose. She loves to win. She loves to do what she sets out to do. Tonight wasn’t her night. None of this would be here without Ronda Rousey. Ronda Rousey built this. She talked me into letting women come into the UFC, and it was the smartest thing that I’ve ever done. Regardless of whether she comes back, or she doesn’t come back, she’s a wnnier. She built this whole thing…[She] needs to take some time. Maybe she’ll [come back], we’ll see what happens.
White: Nick Diaz turned down every fight offered by UFC
During the UFC 207 Media Scrum, White says Nick Diaz has turned down every welterweight fight offered by UFC, including a fight against McGregor. Diaz reportedly turned down the McGregor fight to keep it for his brother, Nate.
Weight debates aside, Dana White told me he's offered Nick Diaz fights at welterweight. According to White, he's turned them all down.
— Luke Thomas (@lthomasnews) December 28, 2016
I have confirmed that Nick Diaz recently turned down a fight with UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor.
— Chris Taylor (@CTaylor_96) December 28, 2016
Apparently Nick said no to the offer because “That is Nate’s fight” and he wouldn’t take that away from his little brother.
— Chris Taylor (@CTaylor_96) December 28, 2016
White: McGregor not scheduled for any fights
Despite McGregor saying he could fight earlier than May 2017. White says he is not currently looking to book McGregor into any fights.
The last conversation that Conor and I had he was taking 10 months off. I’m not even thinking about Conor. Conor is not in my plans for the next 10 months. We run a business where we make fights. I know who’s available and I know who’s not available. Conor told me ‘I’m not available for 10 months, we’re having a baby, my girl stresses out when I fight and I don’t want to put that on her while she’s pregnant.’ I love it, I respect it, I get it. Do your thing, buddy…That’s it. He’s not in any of our plans for the next 10 months.
White: Rousey ‘as good as I’ve seen her’
White says he is fine with giving Rousey a pass on promotion this time.
If you look at the amount of press that has been done by any fighter in the UFC history, Ronda smokes everybody by a long shot. This is the way she wanted it. The only thing she cares about right now is focusing on winning, She has done a lot of things for us. This is what she wanted and we gave it to her.
And that, to him, she is in excellent shape:
She is great. She is ready to roll, she is ready to fight, and it is all good. Everybody knows that Ronda is psychotically competitive. She is as good as I have ever seen her. She is in amazing shape, she is in great spirits. She is fired up. She is like the old Ronda again. She just had to deal with this thing the way she wanted to deal with it…all the greats throughout history, they’ve all lost. Muhammad Ali lost, Mike Tyson lost, you go through the list of all the greatest fighters who have ever lived, everybody has a loss. It is always interesting and exciting to see if they can overcome and come back from a devastating loss, like her’s was.
White: Diaz trilogy fight could ‘ruin’ McGregor
White says he doesn’t want McGregor to fight a “trilogy” fight with Diaz.
The problem with the rubber match is Diaz is a 170-pounder. He’s a massive guy. Conor is a very talented guy, he’s very, very good. Every time he goes out there he looks better… [But] we should have never done it in the first place. That’s what weight classes are for. They wanted to do it, we did it. They wanted to do it again, we did it again. They’re 1-1. There’s only so many of those wars you can be in in your career. It takes a lot out of you. Some guys go into wars like that and they’re never the same after it. Look at Meldrick Taylor when he fought Julio Cesar Chavez. He was never the same after that fight. We’ve had those type of fights too. I believe that Rory MacDonald was never the same after the Robbie Lawler fight. That fight ruined him. I don’t want to do that to someone special like Conor McGregor. It’s just not right.
White: McGregor will ‘kick Mayweather’s ass’
White comments on Mayweather’s recent videos criticizing and calling out McGregor.
Floyd’s about this tall (points towards the ground), his hands are like peanut brittle, he has to wrap them a million times so he doesn’t break his hands. Floyd better hope he don’t run into Conor on the street. Let me tell you what, not only will Conor kick his ass, he’ll kick the (expletive) out of everyone of his security guards, too. I would love to be there when Floyd tries to slap Conor McGregor. I promise you, Floyd, you will never try to walk up and slap Conor McGregor and you know it, too…Let me tell you what, that fight will happen before Floyd walks up and tries to slap Conor, I promise you that, too. He’ll kick his head to another planet and then he’ll murder every one of his security guards…I don’t take away from what Floyd’s accomplished in boxing, but he’s stepping way over thinking he’s going to slap Conor. It’s hilarious.
White: McGregor-Nurmagomedov fight could be next
White says McGregor and Nurmagomedov could be the next lightweight fight. Currently, Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson are in discussions to fight for the interim lightweight title in McGregor’s absence, but nothing is official yet.
We’re focused very heavily on Russia right now. First of all, there’s tons of talent coming out of Russia, and a lot of fans. There’s a fighter named Khabib who’s from Russia, and he’s insanely popular. The next fight could be Conor vs. Khabib.
White: McGregor should buy UFC equity
White says McGregor could receive equity from the UFC, but thinks the Irishman should simply buy his own.
I think anything is possible. A lot of people bought into equity. Conor’s got enough money to buy a piece. If Conor really wants to come in, come on in. A lot of people put their money up and bought in.