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UFC President Dana White is not insider when it comes to Conor McGregor and the most recent allegations against the UFC star.
However, White has a pretty good idea of what it’s like to be as famous as McGregor after seeing him firsthand several years ago. Based on that, he indicated that he believes the repeated incidents outside the cage, including a report on Saturday that the former two-division champion was questioned on suspicion of attempted sexual assault and indecent exposure, are the result of a style of life “crazy”.
“That kind of life, crazy things happen when you’re in that kind of lifestyle,” he told reporters after UFC Vegas 10. “You try to go out there and act normal and be normal, and sometimes it’s hard to do that.
“I am not defending Conor in any way, shape or form. I don’t know enough about the situation to talk about everything. But I do know that I’ve dated him before, and it’s crazy. “
White said he read the same reports as the public about the incident that prompted McGregor’s representatives to issue a fierce denial of wrongdoing and a veiled threat against journalists seeking to sensationalize his latest run-in with the law. No charges have been filed against McGregor to date.
The UFC executive said he has not spoken to McGregor, who said he is retired, although he would give the star some advice if asked.
When asked if McGregor’s alleged behavior is the product of a fighter diverting unused energy to compete, White was unwilling to say that the former champion is simply frustrated by a lack of activity.
“[Henry] Cejudo also has a lot in the gas tank, ”he said. “He could definitely fight again. But I think when you have guys like Conor and Cejudo that have been doing it for a long time and they lose weight, they diet, all the bullshit you go through, and then you make a lot of money, you just don’t feel like doing it anymore. Many people don’t believe Conor is done. I don’t know the answer to that question either, but we’ll see. “
McGregor, who was in Corsica preparing for a jet ski race across the Mediterranean when the allegations surfaced, made headlines on Friday for allowing the US Anti-Doping Agency to examine him. The test indicated that he has not made official the withdrawal that would remove him from the pool of random drug tests administered by the UFC’s anti-doping partner, although he has proclaimed that he has ended the fights.
White has previously faced McGregor when the Irish star fell apart, calling an infamous bus attack at UFC 223 “the most disgusting thing” in UFC history. The two have reportedly clashed behind the scenes on several occasions, although White has always characterized their relationship as strong.
White said he got a better understanding of what McGregor is going through when he and now former UFC owner Lorenzo Fertitta dated the fighter for a night on the town.
“When Conor blew up, he showed up at the scene once with such confidence, I thought, ‘This is fucking ridiculous,'” he said. “Nobody needs that much security. This kid is going to spend all his money on security. So Lorenzo and I ran into him one night, and holy shit.
“You don’t understand how big this guy is until you date him. He was literally being harassed. People were going crazy, yelling, jumping off the blackjack tables, leaving their money there and running after Conor. I had never seen anything like it. … Imagine how it is with him in Europe? “
McGregor was last seen in the Octagon in January, when he returned from a two-year layoff and failed to regain the lightweight belt to quickly stop Donald Cerrone at UFC 246. Out of the cage, the Irish star has repeated brushes with the law, including armed robbery charges for hitting a fan’s cell phone, beating an older man in a bar and questioning him on suspicion of sexual assault. So far, attorneys have been able to negotiate reduced charges that have kept him out of jail, although they have resulted in severe fines.
