Dana White Hints That The UFC Is Ready To Move On Without Conor McGregor…
It will be music to ears of fighters and fight fans alike. The UFC have signalled that they are finally ready to move on with the Lightweight Division. Incumbent champion Conor McGregor has held the belt since November 2016, when he defeated Eddie Alvarez at UFC 205. Since then he has neither defended his title or set a return date, leading to calls for the Irishman to be stripped.
The UFC has resisted this move because McGregor is, without doubt, the organisation’s biggest star. When he came to fame, Ronda Rousey was arguably their biggest draw. Now it is indisputable that he is the only current UFC champion who holds mainstream fame.
There’s also the matter of the massive income he generated for the UFC, when he boxed Floyd Mayweather in February 2017. Unfortunately for the company, they have been unable to entice him with an offer attractive enough to get him back into the octagon. Since then Tony Ferguson has become the interim champion. Now UFC President Dana White says the time to move on is coming.
“Not Fair”
On Fox Sports 1’s UFC Fight Night 124 post-fight show, White suggested that McGregor was giving the UFC no choice. He said:
“Conor has said he’s thinking about coming back in September. If he comes back in September, that’s almost two years – that can’t happen. It’s not fair to everybody else. Love Conor, respect Conor, Love everything that he’s done for this company – everybody knows that; I say it all the time. The belt would have to move on.”
The Notorious has been uploading a number of training pictures and videos on Instagram in the last couple of weeks, suggesting that he is scheming a return at some point this year. It appears that he may have left it too late to cling to his belts.
The Russian Problem
The UFC are reportedly very keen on having in Russia in the near future. Unbeaten contender Khabib Nurmagamedov (25-0) would be a prime contender to headline a fight there. White signalled that “The Eagle” had his backing.
“You do Khabib vs. Tony. We’re working on that fight now, and if and when Conor comes back, he would get the first crack at the title.”
A fight between Ferguson and Nurmagamedov has been booked on two previous occasions. Billed as title eliminators, the Dagestani fighter’s injury record and weight cut issues resulted in both bouts being called off. It looks like he has learnt his lesson and turned a corner since then.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bd3gf6fgDa4/?hl=en&taken-by=thenotoriousmma
Time To Move On
When asked outright if the UFC would strip McGregor of his belt, Dana White replied emphatically with one word:
“Yes.”
The organisation appears to be resigned to moving on without their biggest draw for the moment. With pay-per-views down in 2017, they realise that they need to create new stars in this notoriously fickle sport. A fight in April between Ferguson and Nurmagamedov, with New York’s Madison Square Garden being mooted as a potential venue, appears to be the next step for the Lightweight Division.
