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Dana White says Conor McGregor does not belong at welterweight.
Jorge Masvidal is calling for a money fight with Conor McGregor but Dana White wants nothing to do with it.
The UFC President shut down a proposed bout between Masvidal and McGregor when approached by TMZ. “Hell no,” White exclaimed. “Masvidal is too big for Conor. There’s plenty of fights for [Masvidal] in his weight division without Conor. He’s too big for Conor. [McGregor] doesn’t belong at 170 [pounds]. He’s got the balls to fight at 170, but he doesn’t belong there.”
Masvidal, following his record-breaking finish of Ben Askren at UFC 239, called for either a high-profile fight with McGregor or a UFC welterweight title match with Kamaru Usman. Masvidal’s manager Abe Kawa doubled down on that matchmaking. Kawa said Masvidal will not face anyone but McGregor or Usman, per ESPN.
White’s concern regarding McGregor at 170-pounds could be averted if Masvidal and McGregor met at 155-pounds. McGregor — the former featherweight and lightweight champion — competed twice at welterweight against Nate Diaz. Masvidal, meanwhile, has competed numerous times at lightweight. Furthermore, McGregor and Masvidal share the same reach with the latter having a minor two-inch height advantage.
“I think [McGregor] will be back this year or early next year,” White said. “We’ll see how this whole thing plays out in September.” He insisted McGregor will not get a rematch with Khabib Nurmagomedov, but the results of UFC 242: Nurmagomedov vs. Poirier “will shake a lot of things up whoever wins that fight.”
There is no confirmed title challenger for welterweight champion Usman.