UFC: Khabib turned down The Ultimate Fighter because Conor McGregor leaked messages, says Dana White

White claims lightweight champ had agreed to reality TV show before McGregor posted photographs of conversation with UFC president

‘I almost had it … we were going to do The Ultimate Fighter on ESPN and do the rematch, but Conor blew it’

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Conor McGregor is escorted from the Octagon after fighting Khabib Nurmagomedov in a lightweight title bout at UFC 229. Photo: AP

Published: 10:35am, 1 Oct 2020Updated: 10:35am, 1 Oct 2020

Dana White has backed up Ali Abdelaziz’s claim that the UFC was looking to have Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor as rival coaches on a new series of revived reality television show The Ultimate Fighter.

Dominance MMA manager Abdelaziz said UFC lightweight champ Nurmagomedov (28-0) turned down the opportunity because he “didn’t want to be in the same room” as his rival, whom he submitted in a heated October 2018 clash that spilled outside the Octagon, and would “never” grant him a rematch.

But UFC president White has claimed the Russian was originally keen on the idea – until McGregor (22-4) leaked photographs of private messages with White.

“He was going to do it until Conor did all of this [expletive],” White told Barstool Sports’ Robbie Fox.

“I almost had it. That’s what I was saying: I felt like I was in a good place and I was going to get that done. We were going to do ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ on ESPN and [expletive] do the rematch.

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