Dana White: UFC champ Conor McGregor still 'wants to defend his title this year'

One of the main questions around Conor McGregor’s mega boxing fight with Floyd Mayweather is whether, after collecting what will for sure be a hefty paycheck, the UFC champ will ever return to the octagon.

According to UFC President Dana White, the answer is – so far, and for now – yes.

“I talked to him this morning, he wants to fight Floyd Mayweather on Aug. 26, and he wants to defend his title this year too,” White said on Wednesday. “So he’ll fight twice this year.”

The McGregor (21-3 MMA, 9-1 UFC) vs. Mayweather (49-0 boxing) bout was formally announced on Wednesday following months of rumors and doubts. The pay-per-view blockbuster is now set for Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena, under boxing rules. The 12-round match is slated for 154 pounds, or boxing’s super welterweight division.

McGregor is currently ranked No. 1 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA lightweight rankings, and he sits at No. 4 in the MMA pound-for-pound rankings. The ex-two-division champ, who recently became a father, has yet to defend the lightweight belt that he took from Eddie Alvarez in November at UFC 205.

White expects the Mayweather bout to break PPV records, surpassing even the 4.6 million buys made by the undefeated boxer’s scrap with fellow legend Manny Pacquiao. Pulling off a knockout win, he said, would make McGregor “the biggest athlete on earth.”

Add to that the astronomical figures that McGregor will inevitably bank with the highly watched affair, and, despite McGregor’s early plans, and White won’t make any promises on the champ’s behalf.

“According to him, he’s going to fight,” White said. “You don’t know when you cash the check and you make that kind of money. I’ve seen it happen. Forget at fighting – I’ve seen it happen with guys in business. They get that big payday, and they’re done. They don’t want to work anymore. So, who knows? That will remain to be seen.”

But Mayweather Promotions CEO Leonard Ellerbe, who was also at Wednesday’s press conference, offered the flip side to that. After all, making “hundreds and hundreds of millions” of dollars didn’t stop Mayweather from coming back for more.

“(Mayweather) finished the Pacquiao fight – Wednesday he was back in the damn gym,” Ellerbe said. “Guys who have the love for the sport and love what they do – and love the attention, and giving the fans what they want to see – that’s what they do. Fighters fight.”

For more on “The Money Fight: Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor,” check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.