When it comes to Shaquille O’Neal, the big guy doesn’t just stay on the basketball court but also likes to venture into the world of martial arts. What can we say? ‘Big Shaq’ even trained and had a spar in the MMA cage. And when it comes to talking about MMA, the name that often pops up is, of course, Conor McGregor. 

‘Mystic Mac’ has been out of action for about 3 years now. He was supposed to make a comeback and fight Michael Chandler at UFC 303. However, he was forced to pull out of the match due to a broken pinky toe. Needless to say, the withdrawal was a great disappointment for the fighting community. Despite that, ‘The Notorious’ still remains in the conversations as fight fans speculate who he would go against when he finally comes back to the UFC. Did you know Dana White believed McGregor’s legacy was somewhat like that of Ronda Rousey? Let’s see what the UFC CEO had to say.

Dana White mashes Conor McGregor with Ronda Rousey

On the episode of ‘The Big Podcast’ released on 18th July 2024, Shaq sat down with the UFC CEO for a detailed conversation. O’Neal was bound to ask about the Irish superstar’s return with White on the set. However, the UFC head honcho didn’t quite expect O’Neal to pit McGregor with Max Holloway. Without a doubt, White admitted that it was a great matchup. And so was McGregor vs. Chandler. 

But soon, he traversed through the memory lanes and recalled how ‘The Notorious’ closely resembled ‘Rowdy’. The reason for Rousey’s downfall was indeed her star factor, which brought in quite a bit of opportunity that she had to miss. Sounds just like McGregor? Well, that’s what White thought, as well. Both Rousey and McGregor had to overcome great adversities to reach the pinnacle of success in their career. And that came with money that was tough to manage in the fighting world.

White said, “The Conor thing is, much like Ronda. I mean, if you think, if you look at Ronda, so many opportunities fell on Ronda because of who she was and her personality, her, her looks, everything that she had as a package, ended up being her downfall. Right? It’s just the money and everything else… Ronda went from living in her car to being so extremely wealthy that she doesn’t have to work. She doesn’t have to do anything. She got a great life. She’s got like 3 or 4 houses in great places and all these things. And Conor McGregor is 10 times that. When that kind of money becomes, you know, involved in the fight business, it’s tough, man. It’s tough.”

With McGregor on the road to recovery, the entire MMA realm lies in wait for his return. But when White was asked about it, he decided to keep quiet at the press conference for UFC 303. But do you know about the updates? Well, let’s find out!

UFC CEO confirms the matchup between ‘The Notorious’ and ‘Iron’

In a recent conversation on ‘The Pat McAfee Show’, the UFC head honcho was asked about his opinion on the much-anticipated bout. As soon as the question was popped, White claimed that the fight between McGregor and Chandler would materialize. He was pretty happy about the matchup. Howbeit, it was the date that was yet to be confirmed. The UFC bossman said, “Ahh, sitting here right now, no, I don’t have a date for it or a plan or anything like that. And obviously, me, the fans, and ESPN would love that to happen at 2024, but we will see what happens.” 

Not too long ago, the Irish fighter hinted at his return with a new date on X, as Chandler claimed that the date was still under discussion. Nevertheless, the words made sure to lift the fight fans’ spirits as the world now waits for further updates on the fight. Whether McGregor would win after his 3-year-long hiatus and reclaim his stardom in the Octagon or not, is something that only time can tell. 

What is your stance on White’s comparison between McGregor and Rousey? Let us know what you think in the comments down below.