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UFC president Dana White revealed UFC superstar Conor McGregor was back to his old self right now, and that the Irish superstar wouldn’t care who he fought on January 23 so long as the former “champ champ” had the opportunity to compete.
“I know when the real Conor is here, and when the other Conor is here. Believe me when I tell you the real Conor is here,” White said per ESPN.
McGregor is scheduled to face Dustin Poirier later this month in the main event of UFC 257. But if “The Diamond” had to pull out of the upcoming contest for some reason, White said McGregor’s mindset right now is one that would keep the most popular UFC star on the planet heading into the Octagon on fight night no matter what.
“If something happens to Dustin Poirier right now, he is the Conor McGregor right now who does not give a s*** who we put in the fight on that night. He’s that guy right now,” White said.
White seems excited to have the world’s biggest MMA superstar back to being fully focused on what he does best.
“That Conor McGregor is back,” White said.
The world seems excited about it, too. All-day long on Monday, McGregor’s name was trending on Twitter in the sports community.
McGregor’s next fight is less than three weeks away, and UFC fans are getting hyped about seeing him back in action.
UFC 257: Poirier vs. McGregor 2
McGregor takes on Poirier at UFC 257 on January 23 in an important battle between top lightweight contenders.
While the UFC world waits to see what UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov decides to do moving forward, the winner of UFC 257: Poirier vs. McGregor 2 should be positioned to fight for the UFC’s 155-pound title however that plays out.
McGregor stopped Poirier in less than two minutes in a featherweight contest back in 2014, but both fighters believe they have what it takes to win the rematch.
Now, the two fighters meet again in a lightweight rematch that should help decide the course of the division’s future going forward.
White Touts More Big Fights
White seemed excited about having an active and engaged McGregor in the fold again, but the UFC boss also appeared to be just as excited about his company’s future in general.
“Wait until you see what we do in the next few years. We’re working on really big stuff right now,” White said.
White didn’t reveal all the specific big fights he had in store for 2021, but McGregor’s rematch against Poirier on January 23 would certainly make the cut.
Another megafight coming later this year is the champion vs. champion fight between UFC middleweight champ Israel Adesanya and UFC light heavyweight champ Jan Blachowicz.
But that’s probably just the tip of the iceberg.
“We’re working on big moves,” White said.
So White isn’t content on resting on his laurels. Whatever happened last year, or any of the 19 other years before that, none of it is anything he cares to think about right now.
For White, it’s all about what comes next.
“It’s all about taking the business and the sport to the next level. This year we’re going to do that again,” White said.
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