Dana White opens up on Conor McGregor’s immediate future

Over the last few weeks, there has been significant buzz about Conor McGregor’s possible return to the UFC’s Octagon — most likely for a lightweight title fight with reigning champion Khabib Nurmagomedov.

According to UFC President Dana White, who addressed the media after Saturday’s UFC 226 card, these reports are little more than rumors.

White assured that for the moment, Conor McGregor’s entire fighting future hinges on the outcome of his legal troubles, which stem from his infamous dolly-throwing rampage in Brooklyn.

“I’m not even thinking about Conor until – I’m serious,” White said at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas (via MMAJunkie). “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.”

While White assures there’s nothing in the works for Conor McGregor’s next fight, Nurmagomedov himself has suggested otherwise. 

“Very soon I’m going to come to USA, to California and begin my training camp,” Nurmagomedov recently said on the social media platform Live Raise.

“When the UFC give me fight I’m going to come to California and I’m going to stay at [American Kickboxing Academy] for nine weeks with my family before the fight and I’m going to defend my title.”

“This year I want to defend my title. About opponents? I don’t know to be honest. I don’t know, but the UFC are working on a fight versus Conor [McGregor].”

Do you believe Dana White’s claims that there is nothing on the table with respect to Conor McGregor’s next fight?

This article first appeared on BJPenn.com on 7/8/2018.