White: McGregor-Cerrone bout ‘nowhere close’
LAS VEGAS — A proposed lightweight blockbuster between Conor McGregor and Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone has apparently hit a snag, according to UFC president Dana White.
A McGregor-Cerrone matchup has teased UFC fans since January, when Cerrone called out McGregor following his win over Alexander Hernandez at UFC Fight Night, and McGregor quickly responded on social media by writing, “For a fight like that Donald, I’ll fight you. Congratulations.”
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During a news conference on Friday, however, White said the promotion is looking at other options for Cerrone.
“These two have been talking about this, and I said if they want to fight, I would do it, but we’re nowhere close to a fight,” White said. “We’re actually looking at other fights right now for Cowboy.”
Immediately following the news conference, White mentioned to ESPN that Al Iaquinta (14-4-1) was a potential opponent for Cerrone (35-11). He also guessed McGregor would return in the fall.
McGregor (21-4) has not fought since he came up short in a lightweight title bid against Khabib Nurmagomedov in October. He is currently serving a six-month suspension with the Nevada State Athletic Commission stemming from his involvement in a postfight melee between members of his team and Nurmagomedov’s. That suspension ends April 6.
As of Thursday, Cerrone was still promoting the potential McGregor matchup on social media. He even hinted at a July 6 date in Las Vegas.