UFC president Dana White has revealed that he knew Conor McGregor would become one of the sport's biggest stars after their very first dinner meeting, even before seeing him fight. The Irishman, who has not fought in the UFC since 2021, is set to end a five-year hiatus tonight against Max Holloway at UFC 329 in Las Vegas.
First Dinner Meeting Sealed McGregor's Fate
White recalled the dinner meeting with McGregor in a 2021 interview with Bro Bible. 'I went to dinner when we first signed him, he flew out here to Vegas, and he and I went to dinner,' White said. 'It was my first real interaction with him.'
After that dinner, White immediately called his business partner Lorenzo Fertitta. 'Let me tell you what, I don't know if this kid can fight or not. But if he can even throw a punch, he's going to be a massive superstar,' White said. 'I knew it that night with him. His personality, the energy around this kid, I'd never met anybody like him. The closest thing to it was Ronda Rousey.'
McGregor's Rise to Dual Champion
McGregor went on to become the first fighter in UFC history to hold two weight class titles simultaneously. After a stunning 13-second knockout of legendary featherweight champion Jose Aldo in December 2015, he stopped Eddie Alvarez in November 2016 to claim the lightweight belt. This mirrored his earlier achievement of holding two belts simultaneously during his stint with Cage Warriors.
Between his UFC debut victory in April 2013 and claiming the featherweight belt against Aldo, McGregor secured six of his opening seven UFC bouts via TKO or KO. A pair of encounters with Nate Diaz, jumping up two weight divisions, further boosted his profile before his lightweight championship triumph over Alvarez.
Crossover Fame and Recent Hiatus
A crossover boxing match with Floyd Mayweather in August 2017 seized worldwide attention, though it also marked the beginning of McGregor's absence from the UFC octagon. He made his MMA comeback in October 2018, losing to Khabib Nurmagomedov in a contest overshadowed by controversy. The former dual-weight champion hasn't competed since suffering a broken leg in a second consecutive loss to Dustin Poirier in July 2021.
McGregor was due to return two years ago against former Bellator world champion Michael Chandler but was forced to pull out due to an injury in training. Away from the octagon, he was recently embroiled in a civil court case; in November, a Dublin court ruled he had assaulted Nikita Hand and ordered him to pay more than £200,000 in damages.
Tonight's Return Against Holloway
Despite the drama, McGregor will end a five-year hiatus tonight when he takes on Max Holloway in a welterweight showdown headlining UFC 329 in Las Vegas. The fight comes 13 years after their initial encounter in Boston, which McGregor won on points.
