No matter what happens in the next few days, Conor McGregor vs. Dustin Poirier 2 will not turn into some kind of championship fight, UFC president Dana White said.
Speaking with ESPN, White made it clear McGregor-Poirier 2 will not be for the undisputed or an interim UFC belt at 155 pounds, even if there’s some clarity on Khabib Nurmagomedov’s future in MMA before McGregor and Poirier fight Jan. 23 at UFC 257.
The UFC has yet to strip or make vacant the lightweight title. Nurmagomedov retired in October after defending his title against Justin Gaethje at UFC 256. He’s had no intentions walking back his retirement since he promised his mother he would stop fighting after the death of his father in 2020 from COVID-19 complications. Nurmagomedov’s father was also his coach and mentor.
“If Khabib does retire, then whoever the highest ranked guy is at the time will end up facing Conor if Conor beats Poirier and would end up fighting for the title, I’m sure,” White said.
White reportedly will soon meet with Nurmagomedov, hoping to entice him back to MMA. Nurmagomedov is a huge star for the company and very much in his prime and remains unbeaten. White hopes Nurmagomedov is not done with MMA.
“As a promoter, you always want the best guys in the world. But when a guy wants to retire, he probably should,” White said. “But the difference with a guy like Khabib is that he’s been through so much and losing his dad is such a major blow to him. It was something that they did together and his dad wanted him to hit 30-0. But as a fight fan, I want Khabib to fight 10 more.”