"We're gonna talk" - Dana White reacts to Conor McGregor saying he wants to fight Kamaru Usman
Conor McGregor has ended months of speculation as to which weight class he'd fight in. In a new interview with The Mac Life, 'The Notorious' declared he's not interested in going back down to lightweight. Instead, McGregor's not only looking to fight at welterweight, but fight for the title in his first bout back since a devastating leg break injury in July 2021. He stated:
“I believe myself vs. Usman for the 170-pound title for my comeback fight is the one I’m eyeballing at the minute.”
Conor McGregor believes he should fight Kamaru Usman on his return to action. https://t.co/IfeSvhVMYs
UFC president Dana White was taken by surprise and didn't sound particularly enthused about the idea. He said:
"Yeah it's interesting. I hadn't heard that. He's coming into Vegas, we're getting together soon and we're going to talk and ... we'll, ah, see what's next. Yeah, I mean any Conor fight is good money wise."
Watch Dana White's reaction to McGregor's call for a welterweight title shot below:
White had previously confirmed that Conor McGregor might get an immediate title shot upon his return in mid-to-late 2022, but he was referring to the lightweight belt that McGregor previously won in 2016. With 'The Notorious' going 1-3 in the UFC since the 2017 superfight with Floyd Mayweather, this was already a controversial decision. Having McGregor step into the welterweight division to fight Kamaru Usman would be even more difficult to justify.
Conor McGregor is aiming for July 2022 return
'The Notorious' has been out of action since breaking his leg in the third fight against Dustin Poirier in July 2021. While it was a horrific injury that required surgery and a lot of rehab, McGregor recently said he's hopeful of a return just one year to the month after the incident.
At a February Bellator event in Dublin, McGregor spoke with Severe MMA's Sean Sheehan about his timeline, saying:
"July seems okay for me. You know, I can't say too early. You know, but July, if I'm sparring April, May, June, July, I could slap the head of most of these guys at the end of April, you know what I'm saying?"
Watch Conor McGregor discuss his return to action by summer 2022 below:
Dana White wants to take things a bit slower. In a new interview with Chisanga Malata, White says it'll be a few months later than McGregor anticipates:
“We’re looking at early fall if everything goes right. You know, if his leg heals right, he gets the clearance to really start training then possibly early fall.”