LAS VEGAS – Dana White doubts Conor McGregor turned down Justin Gaethje a number of instances.

In accordance with Gaethje’s supervisor, Ali Abdelaziz, McGregor has mentioned no to preventing Gaethje on 5 completely different events in previous years. McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) and Gaethje (25-5 MMA, 8-5 UFC) have traded barbs previously however by no means fought one another.

“He (McGregor) obtained provided this combat at the very least 5 instances,” Abdelaziz informed Submission Radio. “He by no means needed to need to do something with Justin Gaethje. He mentioned the rationale he didn’t wish to combat Justin was as a result of Justin talked dangerous to him on Twitter and Instagram earlier than, and the historical past we now have with him. He didn’t wish to lose to our crew, I assume.

“Even the UFC informed me this. ‘Hey, depart him alone. Don’t discuss with him. He doesn’t wish to combat individuals who discuss dangerous to him on the web. I promise you. He likes to be the one to start out the discuss and also you retaliate.’ Why do you suppose (Michael) Chandler’s being so good to him? Why? As a result of he was being informed to not discuss dangerous to Conor.”

White was requested about these allegations, and based mostly on his historical past with McGregor, the UFC CEO doesn’t suppose that’s one thing he would do. White recounted the time McGregor agreed to combat Chad Mendes on brief discover after Jose Aldo pulled out of their UFC 189 combat as a result of a damaged rib.

”I don’t know if that’s true,” White mentioned Tuesday in the course of the Dana White’s Contender Collection 75 post-fight information convention on the UFC Apex. “I’ve mentioned this many instances, and I’ll say it once more: I imply, we even have video footage of Lorenzo and I strolling into his home that he (McGregor) was renting right here. He simply awakened, telling him that the combat fell out, and he’s actually leaving going, ‘Effectively, I’m going to coach, let me know who I’m preventing once I get again.’ We’ve by no means had these form of points with Conor McGregor ever.”

McGregor is but to return since breaking his leg in a TKO loss to Dustin Poirier in July 2021. He was booked to face Michael Chandler at UFC 303 in June however withdrew as a result of a damaged pinky toe. Chandler has since moved on and is scheduled to rematch Charles Oliveira within the UFC 309 co-main occasion on Nov. 16 in New York.

For extra on the cardboard, go to MMA Junkie’s occasion hub for DWCS 75.