UFC president Dana White has played down the chances of Conor McGregor facing Jorge Masvidal if he beats Donald Cerrone on Saturday and says he is prefers a rematch with Khabib Nurmagomedov.
The Irishman returns to the octagon for the first time since his defeat to the Russian in October 2018 – which ended with a massive brawl that resulted in suspensions for both fighters – when he takes on ‘Cowboy’ in Las Vegas.
BMF champion Masvidal has made it clear he wants to fight the winner of Saturday’s bout, but White says McGregor only has eyes for one man if he overcomes Cerrone.
Asked if McGregor could take on Masvidal next, White told TMZ Sports: ‘Here’s the thing, realistically, Conor believe Khabib versus Tony Ferguson will not happen. We’ve tried to do that fight many, many times. Conor believes it won’t happen.
‘Conor wanted to do this fight at 170 because he wants to turn right around and jump in and fight Khabib if that [Ferguson] fight doesn’t happen. So again, we’ll see how this plays out. We’ll see what happens after this. But Conor is very focused on that rematch with Khabib.’
McGregor is the favourite for Saturday night’s fight and White revealed that the 31-year-old has blown away the UFC doctor with his fitness – though being out of the ring for so long could be an issue.
He continued: ‘Conor and I have not seen each other face-to-face yet but we’ve been texting and I’m hearing he’s in phenomenal shape right now.
‘The UFC doctor is actually saying that he thinks Conor is in the best shape he’s ever seen him in. His head seems to be in the right place. Ring rust is real, I believe in it, we’ll see how that goes.
‘And I think the level of disrespect shown to Cowboy Cerrone by the media, a lot of the fans and definitely the sports books in Las Vegas is insanity.
‘This fight is interesting on a lot of different levels. Obviously Conor has been out for a while. Conor has fought two times at 170, he’s got a win and a loss. I believe in ring rust.
‘Cowboy Cerrone is almost one of those guys that needs something big to fight for. It’s more than just the money and all the things that go along with it.
‘This is the type of fight that Cowboy Cerrone is an absolute spoiler in. This is his deal. These are the types of fights he likes to be in. He’s fought at 170 at many times, is comfortable at 170.
‘Conor McGregor will probably weigh in at 169 or 168 or somewhere around there. It’s even hard for Conor to hit 170! So very interesting fight between two of the baddest in the business to ever do it. This is a fun one.’
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