Dana White admits Conor McGregor craves Floyd Mayweather rematch as UFC star steps up training
Conor McGregor has returned to MMA training despite Dana White admitting the UFC star is desperate to fight Floyd Mayweather again.
The lightweight champion is 14 months absent from the octagon and has yet to defend the title he claimed in December 2016.
McGregor focused all his fighting attentions on going toe-to-toe with Mayweather in August, but revealed on social media that he has stepped up his training.
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And it seems to be MMA focused as McGregor kicks off the new year by getting back into shape at SBG Ireland in Dublin.
The 29-year-old has been living the high life since collecting £75million-plus from the Mayweather showdown, but recent posts suggest his focus has returned to training.
The UFC are desperate to have their pay-per-view king return to action, but White admitted recently that McGregor was keen to have another crack at Mayweather after losing the first fight.
‘Conor wants that fight again, really badly. Of course,’ White said during an appearance on FOX Sports.
‘I thought, leaving the arena that night, I told Conor, ‘What you did was amazing.’
‘I was sitting there with my partner Lorenzo and I kept saying, ‘Oh my god, we found this kid in Ireland four years ago, he’s going into the sixth round with Floyd Mayweather. He’s going to the seventh round with Floyd Mayweather’.
‘He did extremely well. But Conor was not happy with his performance.
‘And obviously, Conor truly believed he was going to win that fight.
Conor 'The Notorious' McGregor
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‘I know deep down that he would do that fight again. But he needs to get back to MMA and defend his title.’
McGregor has a host of potential opponents to chose from on his return with featherweight champion Max Holloway, Georges St-Pierre, Nate Diaz and Khabib Nurmagomedov all keen to face the Irishman.
But, it is interim lightweight champion Tony Ferguson who is leading the race to fight McGregor, with White and the UFC eager for some normality to return to the 155-pound division.
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