Dana White denies ripping Conor McGregor, blasts media over coverage
Ahead of Saturday's UFC Fight Night show at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas that will occur behind closed doors and with no spectators due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, UFC boss Dana White ripped media members following a question about former two-division champion Conor McGregor.
White was asked about his alleged claim that McGregor rejected a fight for last month's UFC 249 show and, as a result, potentially cost himself an opportunity to face undefeated lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov this summer.
White went off (Warning: video contains NSFW language):
White said:
“The bull—t that I have read this week. I started scrolling through: ‘Dana White rips Conor McGregor.’ What? When did I f—ing rip Conor McGregor? The media is so full of sh—. And the f—ing headlines are such f—ing bull—t. It's unbelievable. You literally can’t believe anything you read.”
White went on to echo previous comments he made on ESPN and said that McGregor responded "I'm not a replacement fighter" when asked by White to compete at UFC 249, which was postponed from April to May 9 because of the pandemic. White added, however, that those who believed he said that McGregor turned down a last-minute match were wrong:
"He told us way before (UFC 249) that he was out of the fight. And we never even asked him again.
"So I do one interview where I'm explaining on the radio how this happened. And all these idiots start writing stories that I ripped him and that I said he wouldn't take the fight, and everything else. It's all bull—. Absolute f—ing bull—t.
"And the only thing that was stupider than the f—ing stories they wrote was the headlines that they put on it. It's f—ing unbelievable. You literally cannot believe anything you read."
White reiterated that McGregor did not turn down the opportunity to fight on May 9 at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville at the 11th hour.
McGregor, meanwhile, is amid his latest mixed martial arts "retirement." He last fought in January when he stopped Donald Cerrone in 40 seconds at UFC 246.
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