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Thursday, Jan 04, 2018

Dana White Sets Deadlline For Conor McGregor to Defend Lightweight Title

Conor McGregor

By FCF Staff

It’s been over a year now and counting, since Conor McGregor won the UFC’s lightweight title, and now Dana White has set a deadline for the Irish star’s first title defense.

Following McGregor’s defeat to decorated boxer, Floyd Mayweather in August, it’s remained unclear as to when the lightweight champion would return to the Octagon. Currently McGregor is in talks with the UFC regarding a new contract.

Recently White spoke with Yahoo Sports’ Kevin Iole, and the UFC President had this to say, while discussing a timetable for McGregor’s first title defense (quote via MMA Fighting):

“I love that matchup (against Nurmagomedov), but Tony Ferguson is the interim champion, and Conor and I haven’t really figured out when he’s coming back and what’s going on,” White said. “So Conor has some big decisions to make here, really quick. If he waits — I don’t think Conor wants to fight until August, but if he waits until August or September, that’s around two years since the belt has been defended, and that can’t happen.”

“…As long as Conor is willing to (book a) fight by March, we could do Khabib (Nurmagomedov) versus Tony,” White added later. “We could do Khabib versus Tony, and then the winner fights Conor for the title. Or if Conor doesn’t want to fight and wants to sit out until next fall, then we would have to make Khabib versus Tony for the title, not the interim title.”

Ferguson won the interim title this past October, by submitting Kevin Lee. Nurmagomedov, meanwhile, fought Edson Barboza at UFC 219 last weekend and won a decision, decision.

posted by FCF Staff @ 2:51 pm
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