If former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) lightweight champion, Conor McGregor, wants to show up at UFC 242 in Abu Dhabi and start shitting all over Khabib Nurmagomedov, then he’s got the blessing from promotion president, Dana White.
I mean, what’s the worst that could happen?
Sure, McGregor recently referred to Nurmagomedov’s wife as a “towel” and skirted the line more than a few times during the build up to UFC 229, but I’m certain the fans from United Arab Emirates realize this is nothing more than pre-fight posturing.
“He could, probably, show up to that fight,” White told ESPN. “I honestly believe that in that region they like Conor McGregor, too. I know they take things a little serious when stuff is said but Khabib won the fight. And I think it’s all just trash talk leading up to. Obviously Khabib and Conor, there’s no love lost. Those guys do not like each other. But it’s part of the business. I would have no problem with Conor showing up there.”
I imagine it would be easier to call the “Notorious” goon squad for an ambush in Brooklyn than it would be to assemble his Irish avengers for a bus-breaking trip to Abu Dhabi, where the consequences may prove to be a bit stiffer than community service.
To be frank, there’s really no reason for him to be there at all, considering where top contender, Tony Ferguson, sits in the 155-pound pecking order. But White refuses to rule out a “Notorious” rematch if “The Eagle” claws his way past Dustin Poirier in the UFC 242 main event in September.
I guess bad blood really does equate to good business … unless you’re this guy.