Conor McGregor Spills Mantra Behind Success as UFC Is ‘Desperate’ for Superstar

Former UFC double champion Conor McGregor talks about his potential return as UFC struggles with underwhelming fight card announcements.

Conor McGregor Spills Mantra Behind Success as UFC Is ‘Desperate’ for Superstar

Conor McGregor to potentially return at the International Fight Week (via X)

In Short
  • The UFC White House event on June 14 will feature Ilia Topuria vs. Justin Gaethje for the lightweight title.
  • Conor McGregor was not included in the fight card, despite fan demand and his hints at a comeback.
  • Negotiations for a potential fight between McGregor and Jake Paul are ongoing, with both sides expressing interest.

The UFC has recently revealed the official fight card for the highly anticipated White House event, scheduled for June 14. According to CEO Dana White, the promotion believes the card could become the biggest fight event in company history. Despite the massive hype surrounding the announcement, many fans expressed disappointment over the absence of former double champion Conor McGregor.

In the main event of the UFC White House event, Ilia Topuria will fight Justin Gaethje for the UFC lightweight belt. In the co-main, Alex Pereira will fight against Ciryl Gane with the UFC heavyweight interim belt on the line. Fans have been vocal about the UFC not adding big names such as McGregor and former heavyweight champion Jon Jones. 

For months, Conor McGregor hinted at his comeback at the UFC White House event and started training seriously. The fighter even made several X posts asking UFC to give him a new contract before the announcement. However, according to CEO Dana White, McGregor was never a part of the White House deal, but there are other plans. 

Popular MMA reporter Ariel Helwani recently discussed this situation in detail, mentioning how the UFC needs McGregor. According to Helwani, after the backlash from fans after the underwhelming White House event, UFC wants McGregor at the International Fight Week. 

Helwani mentioned a meeting that took place on Monday and believed both parties ended in a positive deal. McGregor reshared Helwani’s post on his X and dropped his iconic line to hype fans up. 

Precision beats power, and timing beats speed!

Conor McGregor via X

Helwani also mentioned that Nate Diaz was one of the potential candidates to fight McGregor, and Charles Oliveira was also on the list. Diaz retired from UFC back in 2022, but has always been motivated to fight McGregor in a trilogy bout. Oliveira, on the other hand, recently won the BMF title by beating Max Holloway and has already called out ‘The Notorious’. 

McGregor has also mentioned that UFC doesn’t put him in big events, as they will do business regardless of him. However, International Fight Week is definitely something fans would love to see McGregor back in the Octagon soon.

MVP co-founder says a potential showdown between Conor McGregor and Jake Paul could happen

Conor McGregor is undoubtedly one of the biggest stars in combat sports history, especially when it comes to pay-per-view numbers globally. His crossover appeal became evident when he faced boxing legend Floyd Mayweather Jr. in their blockbuster boxing superfight that generated millions of PPV buys.

Conor McGregor vs. Jake Paul to happen next
Conor McGregor vs. Jake Paul to happen next (via X)

Apart from competing in the UFC, McGregor has repeatedly expressed interest in returning to boxing for another massive spectacle fight. Last year, the Irish superstar reportedly entered negotiations with YouTuber-turned-boxer Logan Paul for a potential boxing exhibition. Meanwhile, Logan’s brother, Jake Paul has also emerged as a favorable opponent for McGregor in future boxing talks. 

Over the years, Jake Paul has built a massive following, making a potential bout financially attractive for both fighters involved. In a recent interview, Paul’s business partner Nakisa Bidarian talked about a potential clash between the ‘Problem Child’ and McGregor. 

I have the perfect idea. We do the MMA fight with Jake and Conor, and then we do the boxing match with Jake and Conor. Perfect co-promotion. Fans get one of the biggest back-to-back fights in history…Jake would love to fight Conor McGregor in MMA.

Nakisa Bidarian via TMZ

In his last outing, Paul suffered a brutal jaw injury when he got knocked out by Anthony Joshua and lost the bout. However, he took home over $90 million, and fans are now eager to see him fight soon. It will be interesting to see whether McGregor vs. Paul can become a reality anytime soon.

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