Dana White on McGregor-Nurmagomedov build up: “We don’t have time for a world tour”
In the past, whenever a highly anticipated fight is about to happen, the UFC has been known for putting on a huge media world tour as part of the build for that specific fight.
Ironically a man who’s been part of this particular tour has been Conor McGregor himself.
How could we ever forget that epic tour of he and Jose Aldo filled with classic McGregor taunts and quotes that also saw him physically snatch the featherweight title from Aldo, in what is being deemed a memorable McGregor moment?
That media tour single handedly elevated McGregor into the mega star he is now in the UFC.
But the man Conor was back then is nothing like what he is now, especially after being brought back to earth stemming from the legal trouble he was just in after the now infamous UFC 223 bus incident when he proceeded to launch a dolly at a charter bus boarding with fellow UFC fighters.
Now with all legal situations cleared, McGregor is now focused on making his much awaited to the octagon in hopes of regaining the UFC Lightweight Championship against current champion Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Normally, a fight of this magnitude would suggest another world media tour to further the marketing of this fight, but being that this bout has become personal and is a mere two months away (Oct. 6th), with both men going immediately into training camp, there would simply not be enough time to get it done, just ask Dana White.
“We don’t have time for a world tour,” UFC president Dana White said at the UFC 227 post-fight press conference at Staples Center on Saturday night. “These guys are going to fight the first week of October. Both guys are going to go into camp. We’ll do something fun, we’ll do some different stuff. We’re literally having a big meeting on Monday to get this stuff in order and get it going.”
Regardless of whatever type of promotion the UFC decides to do for this fight, White does plan on running the risk of having both Nurmagomedov and McGregor in the same space, at least not right now, especially after what Conor did back in April.
“We’re pretty confident that we can control what happens,” White said. “What happened in New York, obviously if you look at what happened, everyone was loading onto the buses, everything was done, and our staff still handled it pretty damn well for what was going down.
“We’re very aware. Nothing is going to happen. We’ll be good.”
