Conor McGregor v Tony Ferguson ‘has to happen’ says Dana White
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Conor McGregor wants to fight again in 2017 and a unification fight with Tony Ferguson is the fight that makes sense. That’s the view of UFC president, Dana White, who spoke to reporters after UFC 216 in Las Vegas at the weekend.
White stated his preference for the UFC’s biggest star to unify the lightweight titles against newly crowned interim champion Ferguson later this year.
While stories online linked McGregor to a third fight with rival Nate Diaz, White said that story was nothing more than internet speculation.
“Nobody’s talked about Diaz. Diaz has never been talked about,” he insisted.
“Tony’s the interim champion, Conor’s the champion, that’s the fight that makes sense. It’s the fight that has to happen."
Those words must have been music to the ears of Ferguson, who submitted Kevin Lee in the main event at UFC 216 at the weekend, then called out McGregor in a profanity-laden rant during his post-fight interview.
The big question, of course, is whether McGregor fancies making his octagon return so soon after his foray into the world of boxing saw him lose in the ring, but win big at the box office, against Floyd Mayweather.
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According to White, ‘The Notorious’ is up for one more bout this year.
“He does want to fight again this year so he went and partied in Ibiza for a while, went back home for a while. You’ve gotta let him blow off some steam and then figure it out.”
A bout with Ferguson would be notable not just for the fact it would be the first world title defence of McGregor’s entire MMA career, but it would also deliver a fascinating clash between two fighters with unique fighting styles inside the octagon.
“Tony’s a busy guy,” White said. “He keeps coming forward, he keeps throwing all kinds of different things at you.
“And Conor’s awesome. There’s no way that’s not a great fight - impossible.”
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