Dana White has provided his forthright opinion on whether or not the UFC megastar Conor McGregor still maintains the same level of appeal to the general public. McGregor has been absent from the sport ever since he suffered a leg injury during his fight against Dustin Poirier in July 2021. Poirier knocked McGregor out in the first round of their lightweight contest.
In the earlier part of this year, Conor McGregor participated in the UFC’s The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) reality show as a coach opposite Michael Chandler. It was anticipated that the former UFC featherweight and lightweight champion would return to compete against Chandler during this year. On the other hand, Conor McGregor has not yet returned to the USADA testing pool, and it is speculated that this won’t happen until 2024 at the earliest.
Dana White, the CEO of the UFC, was asked about Conor McGregor’s potential comeback to the sport in a high-profile fight during a recent interview with Piers Morgan. White retorted by stating that the Irishman has resumed his workouts in the gym and is considering a bout for the following year.
Morgan then made a passing reference to McGregor’s recent failures inside the cage, questioning whether or not this has had an effect on the star power he possesses and his ability to sell tickets. White responded by implying that McGregor had accumulated a substantial amount of fortune over the past few years.
He stated that it is difficult for most people to keep the same hunger and drive they had before becoming really wealthy, which is why wealthy fighters like Conor McGregor either compete infrequently or go on losing streaks. He said this is because it is difficult for most people to maintain the same hunger and drive they had before becoming incredibly wealthy. According to White:
“When you reach a certain degree of financial success, everything changes. You can no longer be the person you were when you were just starting out; you can no longer be that hungry; you can no longer work as hard; and you can no longer be as dedicated to the game or the skill that you practice. In addition, Conor McGregor has amassed that amount of wealth. And this is not a criticism. It’s nothing but a simple reality.””The hunger that you feel and the drive are two different things. The best illustration of this is Conor McGregor. Right now, Conor McGregor has everything that he has ever dreamed of having, as well as things that he could never even begin to imagine having in his life. In addition, it is challenging to spend the entire summer on a boat and then declare, “Oh, I need to get back in the gym and start grinding again.” One more time, this is not meant as a criticism. It’s just the way things go, especially in the professional wrestling industry.
Conor McGregor hints at move to a new weight class ahead of UFC return
At the recent UFC 293 event, which took place a few days ago, MMA superstar Israel Adesanya was defeated by Sean Strickland, who went on to win an upset victory and become the new UFC middleweight title as a result. After that, Conor McGregor dropped hints about the possibility of him moving up to the middleweight category. McGregor tweeted the following in response to a supporter who asked him to move up to middleweight and perhaps compete for the title:
“No mess, I’d fancy it,” the speaker said.
Expansion of a Tweet
In addition, someone else on Twitter (X) posed the question to Conor McGregor about whether or not the welterweight category will be the setting for his next battle. McGregor has fought in the welterweight division (170 pounds), the featherweight division (145 pounds), and the lightweight division (155 pounds) in the past.
In light of this, McGregor reacted to the fan through Twitter, writing, “On that note, implying that he could be making his middleweight (185-pound) debut soon:
