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Topics: Dana White, UFC, Conor McGregor, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Jon Jones
Nasir Jabbar
Topics: Dana White, UFC, Conor McGregor, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Jon Jones
A UFC legend has named the two fighters who have managed to 'get close' to Dana White on a personal level and Jon Jones isn't one of them.
Jones, who hasn't fought since his victory over Stipe Miocic last November, is the biggest star on the UFC roster.
White has sang his praises on many occasions, calling him the GOAT.
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But the UFC CEO and 'Bones' have shared a somewhat rocky working relationship over the years.
Jones infamously refused to face Chael Sonnen on short notice following the withdrawal of Dan Henderson in 2012, prompting White to cancel UFC 151.
White, however, has enjoyed close relationships with some of his fighters, according to former UFC double champion Henry Cejudo.
Cejudo, who won the UFC flyweight and UFC bantamweight title during his career inside the famed Octagon, claims not a lot of people have had a close relationship with the UFC boss.
But Cejudo believes Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor are the only two fighters who have had a close relationship with White.
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"Not a lot of people have relations with Dana, you know what I’m saying? If you talk to anybody that knows him... he has a [tight] inner circle," he said on Jake Shields’ Fight Back Podcast.
"I just don’t think he really gets close to anybody, as a fighter. I think the only people I can think of is maybe Khabib [Nurmagomedov], bro, and maybe Conor [McGregor].
"But as a promoter, dude, he’s the GOAT. He’s the greatest of all time.”
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McGregor, who hasn't fought in the UFC for almost four years, is pals with White, who gave him the green light to box Floyd Mayweather despite being contracted to the UFC.
The Irishman has made the 55-year-old and the UFC millions through the pay-per-view sales of his fights.
As for Nurmagomedov, he also made the company millions, having been involved in a blockbuster showdown against McGregor at UFC 229.
He had a close bond with White, who tried to tempt him out of retirement after he abruptly called time on his iconic MMA career.