UFC 257: Dana White says Conor McGregor faces ‘Rocky III’ moment – ‘he gets hungrier or says I’m done’

‘It’s tough to be a savage when you’re living like he lives and have the money he has,’ says UFC president

‘This is like Rocky III. When you get off a 310-foot yacht, you’re living that good life’

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Dustin Poirier celebrates after his knockout victory over Conor McGregor at UFC 257, Photo: Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC

Published: 1:32am, 25 Jan 2021Updated: 1:32am, 25 Jan 2021

UFC president Dana White thinks Conor McGregor faces a pivotal moment in his career after his shock second-round TKO by Dustin Poirier on Sunday.

The former two division champ suffered his first knockout loss on Fight Island, and has now won just twice at lightweight in four and a half years, with his prospect of regaining the 155-pounds title taking a huge hit.

The 32-year-old Irishman (22-5) talked in his post-fight press conference of taking trilogy bouts with Poirier (27-6, one no contest) and Nate Diaz (20-12), insisting he will “regroup”.

But McGregor also refused to give up on a boxing mega fight against Manny Pacquiao, sparking fears he could take another lengthy lay-off from MMA like in 2017, when he talked himself into a lucrative bout with Floyd Mayweather.

“I think it’ll make him hungrier,” White said at the post-event press conference in Abu Dhabi. “There’s two ways this goes – hungrier, or ‘I’m done’. He’s got the money.

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