Dana White explains why Conor McGregor co-owning the UFC is unlikely

UFC President Dana White believes Conor McGregor isn’t retired – he’s just stuck on owning a piece of the promotion.

“If you look at basketball, Michael Jordan didn’t own a piece of the league, and the list goes on and on,” White today told Las Vegas CBS affiliate KLAS. “Is Conor very valuable to the sport, and to the brand UFC? Of course he is. But that’s a tough one. But I think there’s other ways we can make him happy.”

White has long fought the perception that he and McGregor have a rocky relationship. After the Irish star last week suddenly declared he was hanging up his gloves, White wished him well and predicted he’d find success in other areas.

“Who gets respected more than Conor McGregor does? C’mon. The guy’s never been disrespected – definitely not by me.”

It didn’t take long before footage surfaced of McGregor training in Miami, where he awaits arraignment on multiple felony charges for allegedly destroying and stealing a fan’s cell phone.

For better or worse, McGregor’s visibility only seems to have increased in the wake of his announcement. A New York Times report linked him to a sexual assault investigation in his native Ireland, and his Proper Twelve whiskey commercials were a constant presence on Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 2 broadcast. Monday, he announced he’s getting into the wine business with “Champ Champ Rose.”

White admits McGregor’s presence is needed to make the two biggest possible fights in the UFC: an MMA rematch with Floyd Mayweather, or a rematch with current lightweight champ Khabib Nurmagomedov.

Yet the UFC president is steadfastly against offering McGregor a share of the promotion. With or without the former two-division champ, he said the lightweight division will roll on with the winner of the UFC 236 interim title bout between Dustin Poirier and featherweight champ Max Holloway meeting Nurmagomedov, whom he expects to fight in September.

“UFC is going to be here longer than Conor McGregor, longer than Dana White, longer than anybody else,” White said.

For more on the upcoming UFC schedule, visit the UFC Rumors section of the site.