Dana White shared his take on Conor McGregor’s viral staredown with undefeated BKFC fighter ‘Platinum’ Mike Perry.
On April 29, Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship invaded the 1stBank Center in Colorado to present the biggest card in the history of the promotion. Bringing in names like Eddie Alvarez and Luke Rockhold, the BKFC delivered a highly entertaining event that featured hard-hitting action and even a few surprises. Fans in attendance were shocked to see former two-division UFC champion Conor McGregor make his way into the arena.
Pounding his Proper No. 12 whiskey and being animated as ever, McGregor appeared to have a genuinely fun time being part of the festivities. So much so that the Irishman actually made his way into the squared circle with a BKFC title belt draped over his shoulder. Squaring off with the promotion’s top gun Mike Perry, fans immediately began speculating about a potential partnership between McGregor and the bare-knuckle fight company.
Appearing on My Mom’s Basement with Robbie Fox, UFC President Dana White addressed McGregor’s appearance in the rival organization’s ring.
“I think that Conor went out and was having fun and got caught up in the moment,” White said. “The [Mike Perry] called him into the ring and he did it. I also saw him pounding a bottle of Proper No. 12. I’m sure that probably had something to do with it too, but listen man. At the end of the day, Conor has done a lot here. He’s made a lot of money. The guy’s out having fun and it’s all good.”
White reiterated that he was not upset to see his golden boy promote another company’s top star.
“Not at all. Not even little bit,” White confirmed.
Mike Perry/Conor McGregor Face offpic.twitter.com/gD9kplirYy
— Jed I. Goodman © (@jedigoodman) April 30, 2023
Dana White Addresses the Status of Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler
Later this month, Conor McGregor will appear opposite high-octane lightweight fighter Michael Chandler on the 31st season of The Ultimate Fighter. The two are expected to scrap this fall once the season wraps, but thus far, no movement has been made on the highly anticipated clash. McGregor, who removed himself from the USADA testing pool after breaking his leg in July 2021, is yet to re-enter the pool for a required six months of screening before he can be cleared to compete.
Addressing the status of the bout, Dana White suggested that McGregor looks to be in the process of shedding excess weight, but offered little more to quell the skeptics.
“I actually saw a picture of Conor today where he actually looked leaner, like he’s starting to cut the weight down and we’ll see,” White said. “I mean, this guy’s going through a ton of sh*t with his body after breaking his shin bone. Believe me, as soon as soon as we can get it done, we’ll get it done.”
At this point, the earliest possible date McGregor vs. Chandler could place would be November.
