Mayweather-McGregor Rematch Not Happening, Says UFC President Dana White

KEY POINTS

Dana White said Conor McGregor's next fight will be in the UFC
McGregor has long been rumored to be having a boxing match in his return to combat sports
White did not mention who McGregor would face in his return at the end of the year

The thought of seeing the best boxers in the world and mixed martial arts (MMA) practitioners mix it up in the boxing ring has been one of the biggest attractions in sports since Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Conor McGregor made it a reality in 2017.

However, UFC president Dana White recently denied the rumors claiming that the worlds of boxing and MMA will collide again with a part two to Mayweather vs. McGregor.

“Not me, I’m not talking about that. [His return] will be in the cage. Conor’s looking to come back at the end of this year, early next year,” White said Monday on “The Jim Rome Show.”

The UFC star has been out of action since July 2021 after breaking his tibia and fibula during his trilogy fight with Dustin Poirier but has been making progress toward an in-ring return.

With White’s information, this effectively shuts down the other potential crossover fight with boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao.

Pacquiao was rumored to be making his own comeback into the ring in September after his failed bid for the Philippine presidency in early May, and McGregor was deemed to be the best-case scenario opponent since they both need to polish off the ring rust before heading back to their respective fields of expertise.

McGregor further fueled the rumors of him sharing the ring with either of the boxing legends when he shared his love for the sport while at the Monaco Grand Prix in late May.

“When I do talk to Conor, Conor wants to fight. Conor gets all kinds of offers for movie roles and all these other things that he could go do and make money. Conor doesn’t want to do any of that. Conor wants to fight,” White said.

When asked by Rome about McGregor’s priority between fighting and getting paid, White had a simple answer.

“He does both. When he fights, he gets paid, so fighting is what he wants to do,” he said.

White did not mention who McGregor will be fighting in his return, so MMA fans will need to wait alongside the rest of the world to find out who “Notorious” will share the cage with.