Conor McGregor has insisted that he he ‘wasn’t happy’ with Dana White‘s brutal put-down over a potential trilogy fight for the Irishman and rival Nate Diaz.
McGregor, who is yet to secure a return bout since he broke his left tibia and fibula against Dustin Poirier in July 2021, had expressed his interest in fighting twice this year, including one bout against old rival Nate Diaz.
However, UFC chief White had other ideas when he addressed the potential bout during the UFC 299 post-fight press conference.
‘Yeah, I’m not doing that fight,’ White told reporters in the press conference, putting to bed any rumours that he was keen to seen the two do battle one final time.
Now, in response to White, McGregor has hit back and insisted that he wasn’t pleased the UFC chief poured ‘cold water’ on the bout immediately.
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Conor McGregor has reacted to Dana White’s put-down for his trilogy fight with Nate Diaz
The Irishman had suggested fighting his American rival at the Las Vegas Sphere this year
Speaking to talkSPORT, McGregor said: ‘Obviously I’ve got the [Nate] Diaz trilogy. That’s what I had said for The Sphere.
‘You know, there was cold water put on that publicly off the bat, and I wasn’t happy with that.
‘So, I need discussion or conversation because if I lose interest, if I’m not getting anything back, I just drift off.’
Despite interest in a fight with Diaz, McGregor seemed set to face Michael Chandler this year, but the fight is still yet to be confirmed with the Irishman expressing his frustration at a lack of action in the sport.
He has expressed his desire to take on Chandler for a number of months, but it seems the bout is making little progress in terms of being confirmed for this year.
‘I wish for [that Diaz fight] on Mexican Independence Day in the Sphere,’ McGregor wrote on social media this week. ‘Chandler, June. Diaz, September. I have let this be known.’
White was adamant that he was not interested in booking McGregor to fight with Diaz
McGregor emphasised wanting to fight Chandler at UFC 303 during International Fight Week.
On New Year’s Eve, he posted a video announcing a supposed 185lb bout against Iron Mike at the week’s culminating pay-per-view event.
McGregor and Chandler’s clash was foreshadowed with a season of The Ultimate Fighter in 2023.
The pair served as opposing coaches in the UFC’s reality show, seemingly to parade McGregor’s highly-anticipated return.
Diaz, meanwhile, beat McGregor via submission in March 2016, before the Irishman got his revenge and won the rematch via decision in August.
