UFC president Dana White doesn’t know if Conor McGregor plans on waiting around.
McGregor returned to the Octagon back in January after being away from the action for over a year. The “Notorious” one hadn’t competed since Oct. 2018 when he was submitted by UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov. McGregor made the most of his return bout, starching Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone in 40 seconds via TKO to close out UFC 246.
UFC Boss Unsure If McGregor Wants To Wait
White has said numerous times that he hopes to book McGregor against the winner of Nurmagomedov vs. Ferguson. The problem is, McGregor has been mulling a return to the Octagon sooner. White told TMZ Sports that McGregor’s next bout ultimately comes down to whether or not he’s willing to wait.
“Khabib if he wins,” White said. “But I don’t know if Conor wants to wait for him. We’ll see what happens, Conor might not wait.”
Nurmagomedov vs. Ferguson is set to headline UFC 249 on April 18. The action will take place inside the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY. This bout has been booked several times in the past but injuries and illnesses on both sides have derailed those plans. Fight fans are hoping that this time will be the charm.
ESPN’s Ariel Helwani had reported that there are early talks of booking McGregor against either Justin Gaethje or Nate Diaz this summer. Helwani noted that the frontrunner was Gaethje. Ali Abdelaziz, Gaethje’s manager, has denied the report.
When McGregor defeated Cerrone, it was his first win since Nov. 2016. Many have expressed their dismay over White’s plan to give McGregor another UFC lightweight title shot. The two main sticking points for fans is the fact that McGregor’s victory came against someone who had dropped two straight bouts and the fight was contested at welterweight.
Do you think Conor McGregor will ultimately wait for the result of UFC 249’s main event, or will he return to the Octagon sooner?
