Dana White addresses Conor McGregor’s future plans in boxing
Last week, Conor McGregor announced that he plans on pursuing titles in both boxing and mixed martial arts after his fight with Floyd Mayweather is finished on Aug. 26.
On paper, McGregor’s crossover to boxing was supposed to be a one time deal as the UFC granted him permission to face Mayweather in a super fight between two of the best in their respective sports.
Now it appears McGregor is ready to take future fights in boxing while still defending his title in the UFC as well.
“I will contend in boxing belts going forward and I will contend in mixed martial arts belts going forward,” McGregor said this past Friday. “I will rule both with an iron fist. That’s where my mindset is.”
For his part, UFC president Dana White can’t be certain what McGregor will do after the Mayweather fight is done but he’s certainly hopeful that the 29-year old Irishman will make his return to the Octagon sooner rather than later.
“We’ll see,” White said when asked about McGregor’s proclamation to box again. “When you deal with Conor, I’ll take it day by day.”
One fight that won’t likely happen is a rematch with Mayweather no matter how McGregor does when they meet on Aug. 26.
McGregor has predicted a vicious knockout inside two rounds while the odds makers have instilled Mayweather as a sizable favorite to earn his 50th career victory.
Even if McGregor pulls off the upset, White doesn’t really see a reason why there would be a rematch with Mayweather.
“What’s the point? What’s the point if Conor beats him to do it again?” White vexed. “If that happened, we’d talk about it but there’s no rematch clause in there. I’m ready for Conor to get back to MMA.”
In the past, McGregor has hinted at his return to the UFC before the end of the year but nothing is set in stone considering he still has to get through the fight with Mayweather at the end of August.
The UFC will move forward to crown an interim lightweight champion in his absence with Tony Ferguson meeting Kevin Lee at UFC 216 in October.
The winner of that fight would seem to be the most logical opponent to face McGregor when he returns but White isn’t ready to announce anything just yet because he has to get through he fight with Mayweather first before the lightweight champion’s next matchup can be booked.
“We’ve got less than two weeks,” White teased bout McGregor’s future after the Mayweather fight, “Then we’ll figure out what’s next.”
