Tag: Conor McGregor

Video: Can Dana White find success in boxing? What could that look like?

What will Dana White’s involvement in boxing look like? We discuss on “Spinning Back Clique.”

Every now and then, boxing makes its way into the headlines of the MMA news cycle. The past month, MMA saw plenty of crossover, with most headlines surrounding arguably the most powerful man in the sport – UFC CEO [autotag]Dana White[/autotag].

White was more vocal than ever regarding his desire to get involved in boxing and also made a bold claim, shutting down the idea that Francis Ngannou made more money in boxing than if he would’ve stayed with the UFC. On top of that, boxing star [autotag]Terrance Crawford[/autotag] revealed he was in brief talks with [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] for a potential two-fight series – one in MMA and the other in boxing.

With plenty to digest, MMA Junkie’s Brian Garcia, Nolan King, Mike Bohn, and host Gorgeous George discussed the latest boxing headlines in MMA with guest Alan Dawson.

Watch their discussion in the video above, and don’t miss this week’s complete episode of “Spinning Back Clique” below on YouTube.

https://youtube.com/live/W8fowdpah74

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Dana White dismisses claim of Conor McGregor ducking Justin Gaethje repeatedly

Dana White doubts Conor McGregor turned down Justin Gaethje multiple times, as manager Ali Abdelaziz claims.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Dana White[/autotag] doubts [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] turned down [autotag]Justin Gaethje[/autotag] multiple times.

According to Gaethje’s manager, Ali Abdelaziz, McGregor has said no to fighting Gaethje on five different occasions in past years. McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) and Gaethje (25-5 MMA, 8-5 UFC) have traded barbs in the past but never fought each other.

“He (McGregor) got offered this fight at least five times,” Abdelaziz told Submission Radio. “He never wanted to have to do anything with Justin Gaethje. He said the reason he didn’t want to fight Justin was because Justin talked bad to him on Twitter and Instagram before, and the history we have with him. He didn’t want to lose to our team, I guess.

“Even the UFC told me this. ‘Hey, leave him alone. Don’t talk with him. He doesn’t like to fight people who talk bad to him on the internet. I promise you. He likes to be the one to start the talk and you retaliate.’ Why do you think (Michael) Chandler’s being so nice to him? Why? Because he was being told not to talk bad to Conor.”

White was asked about those allegations, and based on his history with McGregor, the UFC CEO doesn’t think that’s something he would do. White recounted the time McGregor agreed to fight Chad Mendes on short notice after Jose Aldo pulled out of their UFC 189 fight due to a broken rib.

”I don’t know if that’s true,” White said Tuesday during the Dana White’s Contender Series 75 post-fight news conference at the UFC Apex. “I’ve said this many times, and I’ll say it again: I mean, we actually have video footage of Lorenzo and I walking into his house that he (McGregor) was renting here. He just woke up, telling him that the fight fell out, and he’s literally leaving going, ‘Well, I’m going to train, let me know who I’m fighting when I get back.’ We’ve never had those kind of issues with Conor McGregor ever.”

McGregor is yet to return since breaking his leg in a TKO loss to Dustin Poirier in July 2021. He was booked to face Michael Chandler at UFC 303 in June but withdrew due to a broken pinky toe. Chandler has since moved on and is scheduled to rematch Charles Oliveira in the UFC 309 co-main event on Nov. 16 in New York.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for DWCS 75.

Conor McGregor says ‘2024 has been Alex Pereira’s year,’ lobbies for Jon Jones showdown

Conor McGregor thinks Alex Pereira is currently the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the UFC.

[autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] believes [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag] is currently the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the UFC.

Pereira (12-2 MMA, 9-1 UFC) notched his third light heavyweight title defense in the span of seven months when he stopped Khalil Rountree by fourth-round TKO in Saturday’s UFC 307 main event in Salt Lake City.

McGregor had high praise for Pereira and the banner year he’s had in 2024.

“2024 has been Alex Pereira’s year, no one can deny that,” McGregor told The Schmo.”If we go by that, forget belts, forget anything of that, it’s in competition. He’s (three) fights this year, (three) KOs, and his most impressive one was most recently. I’d put Alex Pereira as No. 1.”

McGregor was hoping Pereira would announce a move up to heavyweight after finishing Rountree, but “Poatan” said he plans on staying put at 205 pounds for the time being. McGregor thinks Pereira would be an interesting stylistic matchup for heavyweight champion Jon Jones, who defends his belt against Stipe Miocic in the UFC 309 headliner Nov. 16 in New York.

“I think he poses a lot of problems for Jon also,” McGregor continued. “That’s a dangerous style for Jon. But it’s a decent one for him because he’s not so big. Jon is new to the heavyweight division. Jon, he had a nice one against Ciryl Gane, but he’s still untested at heavyweight.

“And I’m sure in the back of his mind, he has that thought that some of these guys are really big. Alex is a nice one and still a dangerous one, though. At the core of it, it’s probably even more dangerous. I’d be excited to see that bout take place for sure.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 307.

Conor McGregor says ‘a few names being discussed’ for UFC comeback fight after Michael Chandler moved on

Maybe we’ll see a Conor McGregor return to the UFC in 2025. … Maybe?

[autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] is gearing up for a 2025 return to the UFC.

It’s been more three years since McGregor competed when he broke his leg in an injury TKO loss to Dustin Poirier in July 2021. McGregor was scheduled to return against Michael Chandler at UFC 303 this past June, but he pulled out due to a broken pinky toe. McGregor has fought while injured before, but after such a long layoff, he wanted to be 100 percent healthy.

Having waited for almost two years to fight McGregor, Chandler finally decided to move on and will run things back with Charles Oliveira in the UFC 309 co-main event Nov. 16 at Madison Square Garden. McGregor still hopes to face Chandler but said several names are currently in talks to fight him.

McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) didn’t name any fighters specifically but said a trilogy with Nate Diaz and a fourth fight with Poirier still interest him.

“We’re looking for the date,” McGregor told The Schmo. “I’d like to square it away with Michael Chandler. You know, I’d like to get Chandler in. We’ve had our beef. It’s not settled. He has a match scheduled. I would like to fight before he’s recovered. There’s a few names in the line at the minute. There’s a few names being discussed.”

Chandler (23-8 MMA, 2-3 UFC) also hasn’t fully moved on from fighting McGregor. He recently told MMA Junkie Radio that “Conor McGregor is not my next opponent, but I am Conor McGregor’s next opponent.”

Whether or not things play out that way remains to be seen.

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Dana White calls UFC 307 judging ‘atrocious,’ reacts to Conor McGregor’s stalling clock idea

The Utah judges did not impress UFC CEO Dana White.

SALT LAKE CITY – On a night on which judging left many viewers scratching their heads, [autotag]Dana White[/autotag] was right there with them.

Following UFC 307 on Saturday in Salt Lake City, White admitted he was not a fan of some of the scorecards turned in.

“The judging tonight was atrocious,” White told MMA Junkie and other reporters after the event at Delta Center. “I felt like I was at a boxing match in Ireland tonight.”

The judging wasn’t the only regulatory topic that entered the public discourse during Saturday’s fights. While White said he missed the highly-criticized officiating by local referee Dave Seljestad, he added that UFC senior vice president of regulatory affairs Marc Ratner indicated his displeasure at actions taken during the fight between Cesar Almeida and Ihor Potieria.

The main card bout between Mario Bautista and Jose Aldo also became a hot topic. Aldo was repeatedly smothered by Bautista against the fence, which caused his former rival [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] to become irate on social media.

McGregor took exception with the idea of stalling and proposed that a clock be installed to limit the amount of inactivity that could occur before a separation.

https://twitter.com/TheNotoriousMMA/status/1842775947587760364r

White agreed that protocols should be adjusted to promote more action, though doesn’t think a clock is necessary.

“I always think that the referees should be more active on that, 100 percent, especially when somebody keeps doing it to stall. You guys aren’t going to f*cking let up on this, are you? I guess we’ll get into it. If you’re judging a guy on control or this or that, if you’re not trying to fight, how do you win the fight? If you’re looking at attempted takedowns, then what about stuffing the takedowns. Just madness.”

“… When you can tell that the guy definitely doesn’t want to stand and strike and just wants to stall against the fence, yes, the refs, that’s their job. When they see it continually happening and that the guy is not trying to win the fight, then you keep breaking them up.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 307.

Ilia Topuria: If I run into Conor McGregor in Spain, ‘there’ll be a funeral’

Ilia Topuria issues a stern warning to Conor McGregor as the pair continue to trade barbs.

[autotag]Ilia Topuria[/autotag] issues a stern warning to [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] as the pair continue to trade barbs.

McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) ripped UFC featherweight champion Topuria (15-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) during a recent live stream sponsored by Duelbits. He said it’s on sight if he runs into Topuria while in Marbella, Spain to promote his BKFC event on Oct. 12.

Topuria long called for a fight with McGregor, but after seeing the Irishman’s inactivity, he dubbed him as unworthy of fighting him. When asked about McGregor’s threats, Topuria went off on the former UFC dual-champion.

“F*ck you, Conor,” Topuria said during an Instagram Live (h/t Full Send MMA). “All day every day. He’s just not on my level, not at all. Otherwise, I’d gladly plant these knuckles in his brain to see if I could fix it and straighten his nose. He says when we meet – you won’t even look me in the eye because you’ll sh*t yourself.

“McChicken. On the 12th, he’ll be at an event in Spain while I’m on the frontlines, not as a spectator. I’ll be headlining an event. He’s been missing out on big time. So deal with it, McGregor. F*ck you!”

Topuria headlines UFC 308 when he defends his featherweight title against Max Holloway in the Oct. 26 main event at Etihad Arena on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+). If he does happen to see McGregor before heading out for his fight, he doesn’t plan on holding back.

“Conor, I’ll dance on your head,” Topuria continued. “Conor’s problem is I’ll slap these nuts on his forehead, right here, and I’ll warm him up with this. Then I’ll throw him down and stomp on his head. See you around. Let’s hope we don’t run into McGregor here, or there’ll be a funeral.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 308.

Boxing champ Terence Crawford explains why he rejected Conor McGregor MMA fight

Boxing champion Terence Crawford revealed he was offered a fight against Conor McGregor, but didn’t hesitate to say, “Hell naw.”

Boxing champion [autotag]Terence Crawford[/autotag] had the opportunity to participate in a big crossover fight against [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag].

Crawford (40-0), a four-weight world champion in boxing, currently holds the WBA and interim WBO super welterweight titles. Former UFC lightweight champion McGregor (0-1) could have been on his resume, as he revealed there were once talks with the Irish MMA superstar.

Rumors of a two-fight deal with McGregor, one boxing bout and one MMA fight, were recently floating around. Crawford acknowledged there were conversations directly with McGregor about making the fights come together, but he decided to turn down the offer.

While Crawford didn’t reveal when these conversations took place, he explained why he won’t compete in MMA.

“I told Conor to himself; I said, ‘Hell naw,'” Crawford told Bernie Tha Boxer on a YouTube live stream. “They called me, they offered me the fight. Me and Conor got on the phone; we started politicking, you know, trying to figure something out.

“I just told him, ‘Man, I’m not getting in no f*cking octagon with you so you can be kicking me and elbowing me and sh*t.’ And so, he gets to laughing and sh*t. He’s like, ‘Man, I respect that because you respect my sport just like I respect your sport, and you understand that if you get in the octagon with me, you’re going to be at a disadvantage. Just like if I get in the boxing ring with you, I’m going to be at a disadvantage.'”

Even though “The Notorious” McGregor, 36, understood the physical reasons for turning down the fight, Crawford, 37, said the Irishman tried to appeal to his bank account.

“He was like, ‘But we’ll make a sh*t ton of money!'” Crawford said laughing, recalling what McGregor added. “I said, ‘Yeah, sometimes it ain’t about the money.’ I can make money, but you ain’t about to be kicking me, dude. Them kicks and elbows, that sh*t ain’t no joke.”

Crawford is doing very well monetarily in the boxing world. If all parties were on board, a crossover fight with McGregor would have been big business. Floyd Mayweather boxed McGregor in 2017, which proved to be a lucrative event for all involved, but Crawford would rather focus on his boxing legacy than mix in a one-off MMA fight.

Crawford is coming off a successful outing against Israil Madrimov in August. He wants to fight Canelo Alvarez, but negotiations haven’t produced any traction. His next fight in the ring may be against Sebastian Fundora, which would give Crawford the opportunity to capture three of the four 154-pound titles.

McGregor hasn’t competed in any combat sport since July 2021 at UFC 264, where he broke his leg in a first-round TKO loss to Dustin Poirier. Despite coaching opposite Michael Chandler on “The Ultimate Fighter” and saying he wants to return to action, there is no indication of when or where McGregor will fight next, if ever again.

Jake Paul mocks Conor McGregor in powder-faced impression video: ‘Keep begging for your date’

Was Conor McGregor on drugs during his recent live stream? Jake Paul seems to think so.

[autotag]Jake Paul[/autotag] appears to have gotten quite the kick out of a recent live stream appearance by [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag].

One day after an enthusiastic (and seemingly inebriated) McGregor partook in a Duelbits partnership stream, Paul posted a video with clips of McGregor interspersed with clips of himself with powder all of his face doing impressions.

“Conor McGregors crash out needs to be studied,” Paul wrote on X.

He added in a second tweet, “And for the record I would destroy this coke head in the ring or in the cage. Keep begging for your date hahaha”

Paul, 27, is currently preparing for a Nov. 15 boxing match vs. 58-year-old Mike Tyson at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Paul most recently competed in July when he defeated former UFC fighter Mike Perry.

McGregor does not have a fight on the books. He was expected to fight Michael Chandler in June but withdrew due to an injured toe. After waiting on the shelf for McGregor for nearly two years, Chandler elected to fight Charles Oliveira at UFC 309 in November. This further clouds McGregor’s return date and opponent.

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Completely inebriated Conor McGregor rips UFC champ Ilia Topuria (among others) during off-the-rails live stream

It’s Conor McGregor like you’ve never seen him before. Just kidding: You’ve seen him like this a million times.

It’s [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] like you’ve never seen him before! Just kidding: This is Conor McGregor like you’ve seen him a million times.

McGregor on Friday took part in a live stream sponsored by Duelbits and, oh man was it a sight to behold as the former UFC two-division champion was apparently drunk and high out of his mind while answering fan questions.

Wondering why McGregor is struggling to get booked by the UFC after his fight with Michael Chandler fell through? The video below probably answers that question.

The whole thing is wild, but if you want to see where it really goes off the rails, skip to 9:13 when McGregor answers the question, in his words, “How do you think you would beat Ilia Abtura, Toptura?” He of course meant UFC featherweight champion [autotag]Ilia Topuria[/autotag].

Maybe Ben Askren hit the nail on the head.

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