Dana White doesn’t care about potential Pacquiao-McGregor fight
FILE — Conor McGregor (L) greets UFC President Dana White during a press conference for UFC 229 at Park Theater at Park MGM on October 04, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Isaac Brekken/Getty Images/AFP
MANILA, Philippines—UFC President Dana White couldn’t care less if Conor McGregor goes on a cross-sport spectacle again.
Rumors have been circulating of a potential bout against boxing legend Manny Pacquiao with McGregor fanning the flames when he posted “I accept” on Twitter and followed it up with “tinatanggap ko” a day after his initial tweet.
“I don’t care about any of that [expletive],” said White in a report from BoxingScene.com.
In an interview with “My Mom’s Basement” podcast, White even guaranteed that McGregor won’t be fighting this year.
“This year, he is retired,” White said as posted on ESPN. “He doesn’t have a fight this year, and he won’t have a fight this year. Conor McGregor will not fight in 2020. … I guarantee he will not fight in 2020.”
McGregor boxed once competitively in about that ended in a 10-round technical knockout loss to Floyd Mayweather in August 2017 in one of the sport’s biggest draws that earned 4.3 million pay-per-view buys.
Earlier this year, McGregor once more expressed his desire to dabble in the Sweet Science, saying there have been talks of a fight against the eight-division World champion Pacquiao.
“I would be open to other boxing bouts,” said McGregor. “Manny, we were actually close to signing [a fight with] Manny. There’s been talks about a Manny fight as well. There was an offer made on that. Just not yet.”
McGregor, though publicly declaring he’s retired, is still under an exclusive contract with the UFC.
Although White doesn’t care about a scrap between McGregor and Pacquiao, he’s all up for the return of former heavyweight king Mike Tyson.
The 54-year-old Tyson will take on 51-year-old and former four-division champion Roy Jones Jr. in an exhibition match on Sept. 12 in California.
White even said that he’d visit Tyson’s camp.
“I’m flying out probably next week to watch him train,” said White. “I’m excited for [Tyson]. He says he’s got that fire, he wants to fight, he wants this, Jones wants it, they’re grown men – I’m 100 percent supportive.”
