UFC News: Dana White Dismisses Conor McGregor’s Return Against Ex-Rival: ‘I’m Not Doing That Fight’

Dana White was quick to shut down a reporter when asked about Conor McGregor’s return to the UFC.

Zain Bando | Mar 10, 2024

UFC News: Dana White Dismisses Conor McGregor’s Return Against Ex-Rival: ‘I’m Not Doing That Fight’ /

When it comes to the status of former UFC double-champion Conor McGregor, Dana White tends to say little about the widely-recognized Irish superstar.

McGregor has been out of action for nearly three years since enduring consecutive losses to Dustin Poirier. Whether it’s injuries, contract disputes, drug-testing, or something in-between, there is still no clear timetable for his would-be inevitable return.

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White was asked Saturday night at the UFC 299 post-fight presser about McGregor’s status and the possibility of him fighting Nate Diaz for a third time.

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White didn’t budge, especially when it came to a potential headliner for UFC 306.

“I’m looking for Mexicans [to fight] at The Sphere on Mexican Independence Day,” White said with a laugh. “Yeah, no, I’m not doing that fight.”

McGregor and Diaz competed in two of the promotion’s biggest events in 2016 — with each splitting a fight between each other. Diaz won the first one in upset fashion at UFC 196, submitting McGregor with a rear-naked-choke. Five months later, off the instant success of their first encounter, McGregor got the better of Diaz, edging him by decision at UFC 202.

McGregor eventually became a two-division champion by knocking off Eddie Alvarez in November of that same year, which became his second-to-last victory in the promotion to-date.

As for Diaz, it is unclear what his next steps are after trying his hand at boxing in the summer of 2023, falling short against Jake Paul.

Nevertheless, the rivalry between McGregor and Diaz has yet to reach its overdue conclusion, as the score remains 1-1.

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Published Mar 10, 2024

ZAIN BANDO

Zain Bando is a writer for MMA Knockout, part of the Sports Illustrated/Minute Media umbrella. He has covered combat sports since 2019 for notable outlets BJPenn.com and FanSided MMA. He also co-hosts a podcast called "The MMA Outsiders," part of the Empty The Bench Podcast Network, which airs Tuesday nights at 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT. A Chicago suburban native, Bando has been enthralled with MMA since 2006 and has been fortunate to attend some of the most high-profile events in the sport's history, both as a fan and media member, including UFC 264, Bellator 297 and Kayla Harrison's PFL MMA debut. He is excited to take the next step in his combat sports writing journey and looks forward to continuing his following of the fight game for years to come. Bando can be reached via email at zainbando99@gmail.com or by social media @zainbando99