"It was nothing personal" - Dana White explains why he ignored Khabib Nurmagomedov's text message
Dana White is in the hot seat trying to explain why he left Khabib Nurmagomedov 'on read' without responding to the former lightweight champion.
Nurmagomedov is still a close friend with White and is used to getting responses when he texts his former boss. However, when 'The Eagle' sent several texts to White demanding his teammate Islam Makhachev get the next 155 pound title shot, he got no answer. Nurmagomedov told ESPN's Brett Okamoto:
"Honestly, this is first time since we started talking to each other that he don't respond to me. I send him message saying 'No way someone else can fight for the title. Islam has to be there.' He don't respond. I think he busy, maybe. It's OK. Everybody make mistake."
Okamoto followed up in a new interview with Dana White, asking the UFC president about the text snub. White replied:
"So what he's saying is I read the message and didn't respond to it? Well, it was nothing personal. I got him and Ali [Abdelaziz, Makhachev's manager] all over me about Islam [Makhachev]. There's no answer, no. I wanted to do that fight with him and Beneil Dariush."
Watch Dana White's interview with ESPN below:
White has been insitant that Islam Makhachev fight Beneil Dariush ever since Makhachev turned down a last-minute fight at UFC 272 against Rafael dos Anjos.
While that may sound like sour grapes on the part of the UFC, it's worth considering Makhachev's last win is over the unranked Bobby Green, and he holds no wins over anyone currently in the lightweight top ten. A win over No. 6 ranked Beneil Dariush is needed if Makhachev wants to fight for the vacant lightweight belt.
Dana White says the next lightweight title fight will be in October or November
If Islam Makhachev wants to fight for the lightweight strap next, he'll have to get this Beneil Dariush fight out of the way soon. In a new interview with Yahoo! Sports, Dana White gave a timeline for the champion without a belt, Charles Oliveira.
"He's probably gonna fight in October. I have fights made up all the way up to October 8th already. Probably October or November."
Oliveira was stripped of his lightweight title at UFC 274 for missing weight by half a pound, but the UFC has said he'll be treated as the No. 1 contender moving forward. Who will stand across from him in the fall remains a mystery. However, Islam Makhachev certainly seems like a solid choice if he can beat Beneil Dariush and be ready in time for the UFC's schedule.