UFC boss, White, holds court in Boston ahead of tonight’s stacked 2-title card
BOSTON (AP) — It’s been a happy homecoming this week for Dana White.
The UFC president caught a Celtics game, will attend Sunday’s AFC championship game between the Jacksonville Jaguars and New England Patriots, and caught up with countless friends from his old stomping ground.
“Not a bad weekend,” the 48-year-old White said, wearing a Patriots T-shirt and jacket.
But the main attraction is UFC 220 tonight at a sold-out TD Garden.
Stipe Miocic defends the UFC heavyweight title against Francis Ngannou and light-heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier defends against Volkan Oezdemir.
White touched on a wide range of subjects during Friday’s media availability. — On Conor McGregor: Tony Ferguson and Khabib Nurmagomedov for the interim lightweight title, the one Ferguson won in October, was announced for UFC 223 in New York.
The 29-year-old McGregor has not fought for UFC since he won the lightweight belt in November 2016. McGregor has not competed at all since August, when he lost to Floyd Mayweather Jr. in his boxing debut.
McGregor could soon be stripped of the title.
“We can’t tie up the title for two years, no matter how much I love the kid,” White said. “We’ll let Tony Ferguson and Khabib fight for the title and then Conor obviously will be the first one to come back and get a crack at either one of them.” Will McGregor come back? “I don’t know,” White said. “I don’t wait for anybody. I run my business, I keep rolling and that’s it. The kid’s got $100 million. Who knows, he might never fight again.”
— On a potential Mayweather-McGregor rematch.
“I wouldn’t do that fight again,” White said. “I would never work with Showtime again.”
How about Mayweather in UFC?
“If Floyd wants to fight in the octagon and get out of his Showtime deal, let’s do it,” White said. “I think that’s the only way people would care this time. Do you know how many people want to see that guy take a shin to the face?” — On Ronda Rousey: Like McGregor, Rousey stood as the face of UFC for years but has also been out of the cage since 2016. The once-feared Rousey hasn’t fought since December 2016 when she suffered the second of two straight defeats — the only ones of her career. The 30-year-old Rousey has kept busy in entertainment and has met with WWE officials about a possible pro wrestling career.
White said Rousey is still under contract with UFC.
“She won’t fight again,” White said. “I love that woman. We have an amazing relationship. What she’s done for the sport and for this company, created millions of female fans around the world. Ronda can do whatever the hell she wants to do.” On Brock Lesnar: —Lesnar returned to MMA in July 2016 with a victory, but he is under contract to WWE as a professional wrestler and is the promotion’s Universal champion. Lesnar beat Mark Hunt at UFC 200 in a unanimous decision that was changed to a no-contest after Lesnar failed a doping test. He received a one-year suspension from the Nevada Athletic Commission.
“I think he’ll give it one more run,” White said. “I just think Brock loves to fight.” — On CM Punk: The former WWE superstar made headlines when he jumped to UFC in 2014. But Punk’s debut at UFC 203 in September 2016 was a short one, and he tapped out just 2:14 into the first round against welterweight Mickey Gall. White said the 39-year-old Punk will fight again.
“He wants one more. He wants to get another shot. I’m going to give it to him.”
White said he has no date or opponent in mind for Punk, “but I’m working on it.”