UFC president remains doubtful whether McGregor will ever fight again
UFC president Dana White, center, intervenes as boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr., left, and mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor exchange words during a news conference at Staples Center Tuesday, July 11, 2017, in Los Angeles. AP/Jae C. Hong
Only a handful of professional fighters truly become wealthy at the end of their careers, and Conor McGregor may have earned enough for multiple lifetimes.
Three months removed from his monumental crossover boxing match against Floyd Mayweather, the UFC Lightweight Champion has yet to return to his promotion and defend his belt.
After initially suspecting in July that the Irish sensation may never fight again after such a hefty payday, UFC President Dana White once again echoed his sentiments regarding the future of arguably his most popular fighter.
READ: McGregor ‘might never fight again’ after boxing bout, says UFC head
“Listen … Conor might never fight again. The guy’s got a f**king hundred million dollars,” White was quoted as saying in an MMA Fighting report.
“These guys make money and that’s it. Fighting is the worst. Try to get up and get punched in the face every day when you’ve got $100 million in the bank,” he said. “Money changes everything for a lot of people.”
His bold statement comes after McGregor was reportedly involved in a bar fight in Ireland.
Earlier this month, McGregor also grabbed headlines for his unruly conduct during a Bellator event.
“He’s a young, rich kid who is a god in Ireland,” White said. “That’s not the healthiest environment either. It’s all part of it. I don’t know if you guys remember in the very beginning with Jon Jones,” he said.
“There’s no doubt the talent was there. I used to go, ‘The guy is talented, but he’s young, he’s rich, he’s the king of the world now. Hopefully he can keep it together.’ That was way before the crazy sh*t started to happen. And there it is. It happens.” Khristian Ibarrola /ra
