“It’s one of the main things I love about Conor McGregor: The belt means a lot to him and being a world champion means everything to him.”
Question marks still loom over Conor McGregor’s future in the UFC but, according to head president Dana White, ‘The Notorious’ is ‘very fired up’ about a return to the Octagon.
Although McGregor is the richest fighter in the sport and has no real financial incentive to return the UFC, White says ‘being a world champion means everything to him.’
“It’s one of the main things I love about Conor McGregor: The belt means a lot to him and being a world champion means everything to him,” White told ESPN on Instagram Live (transcript via The Mac Life). “I love it. … 100 percent (it’s still everything to him). 100 percent.”
McGregor also happens to be a big fan of the UFC’s new legacy belt, as the Irishman tweeted out ‘Ok I’m back’ after the UFC announced its brand new championship design.
Despite making mega-money in the Floyd Mayweather Jr. bout, White says McGregor is still one of the most passionate and driven fighters in the UFC.
“When a guy starts to make crazy money, life-changing money and he’s in one of those positions where he’s not just making it from the fights -– he’s making it in other businesses that he has going on right now -– you find out what people are all about, how passionate they are about what they do when the money comes,” White continued. “Conor and I still communicate regularly and he’s very fired up about coming back and becoming a world champion again.”
McGregor, 30, last fought at the blockbuster UFC 229 pay-per-view where he met Khabib Nurmagomedov in the main event. McGregor lost the bout via submission and got into a heated post-fight brawl with Khabib — and teammates — after the undefeated Dagestani leapt over the Octagon fence and attacked Dillon Danis in the stands. Both men are expected to meet with the Nevada Athletic Commission later this month.
If McGregor does return to the cage, it’s expected that the former featherweight and lightweight champion will rematch Nurmagomedov for the lightweight title. UFC 229 was the most successful PPV in the promotion’s history.