Dana White has been in the mixed martial arts world for years, and the UFC CEO sees some similarities between how two of the greatest fighters in the promotion's history changed with their rise to stardom.
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Fans were excited to see Conor McGregor return at UFC 303 last month, but “The Notorious” pulled out of the main event due to a toe injury. As of now, there's no concrete news on when or if the bout between him and Michael Chandler will be rebooked.
A conversation with NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal The Big Podcast with ShaqWhite was asked if he'd be interested in organising a UFC rematch between McGregor and current “BMF” titleholder Max Holloway.
“If Conor McGregor fights again, of course it'll be a great fight,” White responded. “It'll be a great fight. He and Chandler will be great fights, Conor and Chandler will be great fights. Conor has a lot more fights left.”
White's initial comments on whether McGregor would fight again were certainly notable, with the UFC CEO immediately drawing comparisons between the former two-division champion and UFC Hall of Famer Ronda Rousey.
“Connor is a lot like Ronda. [Rousey]White explained, “If you look at Ronda, so many opportunities came her way because of her personality, her looks, everything she had, that ultimately led to her downfall — money and everything else. Ronda went from living in her car to being super-rich and not having to work or anything. Conor McGregor is 10 times that. When that kind of money is involved in the fight business, it's tough.”
After White infamously said women would never fight in the UFC, Rousey catapulted herself to the forefront of women's mixed martial arts by becoming Strikeforce champion in 2011. She then defended UFC's first women's bantamweight belt six times before being stopped by Holly Holm at UFC 193.
Rousey's loss came just a month before McGregor knocked out Jose Aldo in 14 seconds to win the UFC featherweight title, a defeat that established the Irishman as a UFC superstar and set the stage for a two-division championship with two bouts against Nate Diaz and a win over Eddie Alvarez at UFC 205.
While “The Notorious” is certainly wealthy enough to retire, he seems intent on at least fighting out his current UFC contract, so for now, fans will just have to wait for some kind of definitive announcement from “The Notorious” and White regarding the rescheduled bout with Chandler.
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