Conor McGregor shares no less than one trait with “The Biggest,” in keeping with Dana White.
The UFC CEO was a visitor on the Flagrant podcast the place he lined quite a lot of subjects, together with questions on McGregor’s outside-the-cage habits. McGregor was lately seen partying laborious forward of his comeback combat in opposition to Michel Chandler, which is scheduled for UFC 303 on June 29 in Las Vegas, and White was requested if he’s involved about McGregor’s focus and degree of preparation.
Whereas White couldn’t communicate to McGregor’s precise psychological state (it must be famous this podcast was recorded previous to McGregor lately canceling a press convention look in Dublin, Eire), he believes there’s an opportunity that everybody is seeing what McGregor needs them to see. White went so far as to say that the UFC star’s antics reminded him of probably the most widespread athletes in historical past, boxing legend Muhammad Ali.
“I’ll let you know this and I don’t ever like to match individuals to Muhammad Ali as a result of to me he’s the f*cking, , and f*ck what he did in preventing, simply as a human, what that man completed,” White mentioned. “However I don’t give a f*ck what anyone says: Ali, Conor, each degree in relation to psychological warfare. The 2 better of all time in relation to psychological warfare.”
Throughout McGregor’s rise as a two-division UFC champion and world supetstar, he developed a popularity for delivering on the mic as a lot as he did on combat evening. Memorable wins over Jose Aldo, Eddie Alvarez, and Nate Diaz had been preceded by a number of the most talked-about pre-fight builds in MMA historical past, which led to huge success for McGregor and the UFC.
Ali is extensively hailed as the most effective and most revered heavyweight boxers ever, and his virtuoso promo and interview model was the precursor to how McGregor and lots of trendy fighters construct their feuds as we speak. In White’s eyes, the 2 fight sports activities stars are on the identical degree in relation to getting inside their opponents’ heads.
“If you happen to look again at Ali and also you take a look at what he did to George Foreman in Africa, you take a look at what he did to Joe Frazier, I imply, all through his whole f*cking profession,” White mentioned. “Joe Frazier f*cking hated Muhammad Ali so f*cking badly. He’d present up at his camp exterior and f*cking do all this shit, he would predict rounds, he would provide you with f*cking unbelievable poems and sayings and issues that he would do main as much as the combat.
“Then you definitely take a look at Conor McGregor. He’s picked rounds. The psychological warfare that this man had on so a lot of his fighters. 100% [McGregor got in Jose Aldo’s head], and he would make these guys play into his recreation, get into their heads, f*cking embarrass them, and outwit them in each method, form, and kind. The Eddie Alvarez combat going into Madison Sq. Backyard. He’s actually at Ali’s degree when it got here to psychological warfare.”
McGregor can also be well-known for his wild way of life, which has led to authorized repercussions in addition to questions on his dedication to preventing. Since beating Alvarez at UFC 205 in 2016 to turn out to be a two-division champion, McGregor has competed simply 4 instances in MMA together with one high-profile crossover boxing match in opposition to Floyd Mayweather Jr.. These outings in the end yielded only one victory.
Because it stands, White is treating any in-cage look from McGregor as a luxurious.
“I’m in a spot proper now with the Conor McGregors and the Jon Jones’ the place they’ve type of laid the muse of their legacy and what they’ve and so they’ve made a shitload of cash,” White mentioned. “It’s on the level now the place when these guys do present up and combat, it’s enjoyable. It’s enjoyable after they present up and combat.”
