"It's not a knock, it's the way life is" - Dana White gets honest about whether Conor McGregor still has the same draw in the UFC
Dana White has given his honest take on whether UFC megastar Conor McGregor still has the same box office draw. McGregor's been on hiatus since suffering a leg injury in his first-round TKO defeat against Dustin Poirier in their lightweight bout in July 2021.
Earlier this year, McGregor served as a coach on season 31 of the UFC's TUF reality show against Michael Chandler. The former UFC featherweight and lightweight champion was expected to make his comeback against Chandler this year. However, McGregor's yet to re-enter the USADA testing pool, and it's believed that his return won't materialize till 2024.
In a recent interview with Piers Morgan, UFC CEO Dana White was asked if McGregor is likely to return in a high-profile fight. White responded by asserting that the Irishman is back training in the gym and could fight next year.
Morgan then alluded to McGregor's recent defeats inside the octagon and whether that has affected his star power and ability to sell tickets. White replied by suggesting that McGregor has garnered significant wealth in recent years.
He explained that it's tough for most people to maintain the same hunger and drive they had before becoming incredibly wealthy, which is why rich fighters like McGregor either compete infrequently or go on losing streaks. White stated:
"Once a certain level of money is attained, to be the person that you were coming up, to be that hungry, and work that hard, and be that dedicated to the sport or whatever craft it is you do -- money changes everything. And Conor McGregor has made that kind of money. And it's not a knock. It's just a fact."
"The hunger and the drive is not the same. Conor McGregor is the perfect example. Everything that Conor McGregor ever dreamed of, and stuff he couldn't possibly dream of in his life, he has right now. And it's tough to be on a yacht all summer and then say, 'Oh, I gotta get back in the gym and start grinding again.' And again, it's not a knock. It's the way life is, especially in the fight business."
Watch White discuss the topic at 37:50 in the video below:
Conor McGregor hints at move to a new weight class ahead of UFC return
The UFC 293 event that transpired a few days ago witnessed Sean Strickland secure an upset victory over MMA great Israel Adesanya to become the new UFC middleweight champion. Following that, Conor McGregor teased a potential move to the middleweight division. Replying to a fan who urged him to head to middleweight and possibly fight for the title, McGregor tweeted:
"No mess, I’d fancy it."
Furthermore, another Twitter (X) user asked Conor McGregor whether his next fight would be in the welterweight division. McGregor has previously competed in the featherweight (145-pound), lightweight (155-pound), and welterweight (170-pound) divisions.
On that note, indicating that he could make his middleweight (185-pound) debut soon, McGregor responded to the fan by tweeting:
"185"